NORTHERN IRELAND

Departments: Executive Agencies

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list his Department's  (a) executive agencies,  (b) executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs),  (c) advisory NDPBs,  (d) tribunal NDPBs,  (e) trading funds and  (f) public corporations for each financial year since 2005-06

Shaun Woodward: In the period 2005-07, the Northern Ireland Office had four executive agencies, as follows:
	Compensation Agency for Northern Ireland;
	Forensic Science Northern Ireland;
	Northern Ireland Prison Service; and
	Youth Justice Agency.
	Information on all NIO NDPBs for 2005-06 was published at pages 338-46 of the Cabinet Office's Public Bodies Directory 2006 and can be viewed at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/publications/pdf/public-bodies/publicbodies2006.pdf
	The same information for 2006-07 was published on the NIO website at:
	http://www.nio.gov.uk/public_bodies_2007_at_21_august_2007.pdf
	The Northern Ireland Office has neither trading funds nor public corporations.

Police Stations: Downpatrick

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a recent assessment of the security threat to Downpatrick police station has been made; and how the requirement for security measures at this station compares to other police stations in Down district.

Paul Goggins: I have been informed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland that a security assessment of Downpatrick police station was carried out in April 2007 and a further assessment has been scheduled for January 2008. For security reasons it would not be appropriate to comment on the exact nature of security measures taken at any police station.

SCOTLAND

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to bring forward legislation to devolve policy relating to abortion to the Scottish Parliament; what recent representations he has received on the issue; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: There are no plans to devolve policy relating to abortion, and I have received no recent representations on this issue.

Departments: Aviation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on  (a) first class and  (b) business class flights in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not separately record expenditure on first class and business class flights. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the 'Civil Service Management Code' and the 'Ministerial Code', copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. Information relating to overseas travel by Ministers is published on an annual basis; the 2006-07 edition was published on 25 July 2007 and is also available in the Library of the House.

Departments: Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have been appointed to his Department outside civil service grades in the last 30 days.

David Cairns: None.

Departments: Railways

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not separately record expenditure on first class train tickets. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the 'Civil Service Management Code' and the 'Ministerial Code', copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. Information relating to overseas travel by Ministers is published on an annual basis; the 2006-07 edition was published on 25 July 2007 and is also available in the Library of the House.

Departments: Redundancy Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on redundancy payments in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office incurred no costs on redundancy payments in the financial year 2006-07.

Departments: Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on staff away days in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: £6,834 was spent on staff away days in 2006-07.

Departments: Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on  (a) staff and  (b) communication training in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not hold information in the form requested. The staff in the Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice, both of whom provide free access to training and development opportunities.

Departments: Tribunals

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: Nothing.

Elections

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures are in place to ensure that Scottish returning officers receive appropriate guidance on who can register for elections anonymously; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: Statutory responsibility for the provision of guidance to electoral administrators, including returning officers, lies with the Electoral Commission. The Commission provided guidance on anonymous registration in Circular EC24/2007 which issued to all electoral registration officers and returning officers in Scotland on 22 May this year.

Ministers

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has held discussions with the Scottish Executive on their Ministerial Code published in August 2003.

David Cairns: No. The Scottish Ministerial Code is a matter for Scottish Ministers.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Accountability

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will list the steps taken to improve accountability of the Commission following the report produced by Sir Kevin Tebbit; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The Commission has yet to consider this aspect of the Tebbit review but is interested to hear the views of hon. Members, not least when the review is debated in Westminster Hall on 18 October.

Delivery Services

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will replace the envelopes used to deliver the Vote to hon. Members with reusable mail pouches.

Nick Harvey: No. The possibility has been considered but it is not practical. The reusable mail pouches in use to circulate mail on the parliamentary estate are intended for enveloped mail.

Leader of the Opposition

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what square footage of  (a) office space and  (b) other space is available to the Leader of the Opposition on the Parliamentary Estate.

Nick Harvey: The Leader of the Opposition and his staff occupy a suite of six rooms in Norman Shaw South totalling 266.1 m(2) (approximately 2,864 ft(2)). In addition he has access to, but not sole use of, two meeting rooms; one in Norman Shaw South and a second in the Shadow Cabinet Block totalling 67.9m(2) (approximately 731 ft(2)).

Parliament: Drugs

John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission on how many occasions illegal drugs have been found in the Palace of Westminster in the last 30 years.

Nick Harvey: Police records date from 2001. Since then there have been three seizures of drugs, all cannabis, all in quantities consistent with personal use. Two of these were recorded in 2005, one in 2006.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Committee on Standards in Public Life: Electoral Commission

Mark Todd: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what response the Speaker's Committee has made to the Eleventh Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, on the Electoral Commission.

Peter Viggers: As I told the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle) on 19 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1398W, the Speaker's Committee supported the Committee on Standards in Public Life in undertaking this review of the role and governance of the Electoral Commission, and was grateful to Sir Alistair Graham and his colleagues for their thorough inquiry. The Speaker's Committee published its observations on the CSPL report in its First Report 2007, which was laid before the House on 26 July as House of Commons Paper No. 996, copies of which are available in the Vote Office. The CSPL report ranged widely over the mandate, governance and accountability of the Electoral Commission and also commented on aspects of the integrity of the electoral system, making 47 recommendations in all. Not all of these are directly relevant to the functions of the Speaker's Committee, and the Committee has restricted its detailed comments to recommendations directly addressed to itself, or in relation to which it has a specific policy interest.
	The Committee looks forward to seeing the Government's response to the report as a whole. It shares the view of CSPL that any primary legislation arising from recommendations it has made should be enacted in the next parliamentary Session.

Electoral Commission: Standards

Angela Browning: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Speaker's Committee has received the Comptroller and Auditor General's statutory value for money report on the Electoral Commission 2005-06.

Peter Viggers: Yes. The Speaker's Committee considered this report, entitled 'Electoral Registration: The lynchpin of democracy', at its meeting on 27 June. The report focuses on the important issue of electoral registration and makes eight recommendations to the Electoral Commission, on: the use of its new powers to request information from Electoral Registration Officers, improving the completeness and the accuracy of the electoral register, and performance measurement.
	The Committee is grateful to the Comptroller and Auditor General for this thorough report on a key element in the electoral process. It has been published as an Appendix to the Committee's Second Report 2007, and the Committee is now seeking the Electoral Commission's response to its recommendations. The report was laid before the House on 26 July 2007 as House of Commons Paper No 997, and copies are available in the Vote Office.

WALES

Departments: ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) laptops,  (b) mobile telephones and  (c) personal digital assistant devices bought for the use of departmental Ministers have been returned to the Department following each Cabinet reshuffle since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: In July 2003 Wales Office became part of the then Department of Constitutional Affairs and new equipment was provided to the Wales Office under their contracts from April 2004.
	Since that date there has been two Cabinet reshuffles where one mobile phone and one laptop were returned by the outgoing Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and re-allocated to the incoming one.
	All equipment held by the Wales Office prior to 2004 was returned to the National Assembly for Wales, as supplied under their contracts.

Departments: Road Traffic Offences

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was.

Peter Hain: Nil.

Departments: Secondment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment.

Peter Hain: None.

JUSTICE

Courts: Translation Services

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on translators in British courts in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost through the manual searching of individual court files. Her Majesty's Courts Service is giving consideration to the routine collection of data relating to interpreting and translation services used in court.

Departments: Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what accounts directions were issued by his Department's predecessors in financial years  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Maria Eagle: Under the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000 HM Treasury issue accounts directions to departments, pension schemes and agencies and under the Government Trading Fund Act 1973 to trading funds.
	For the years 2005-06 and 2006-07 the Ministry of Justice and its predecessors has issued accounts directions for the form and content of resource and other accounts to the following sponsored bodies:
	 2005-06
	Legal Services Commission
	Information Commissioner's Office
	Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman
	Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner
	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
	Youth Justice Board
	Parole Board
	Criminal Cases Review Commission
	42 Probation Boards
	 2006-07
	Legal Services Commission
	Information Commissioner's Office
	Judicial Appointments Commission
	Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman
	Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner
	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
	Youth Justice Board
	Parole Board
	Criminal Cases Review Commission
	42 Probation Boards
	Further specific accounts directions have been issued by HM Treasury for the following sponsored bodies:
	Funds in Court in England and Wales
	Official Solicitor and Public Trustee in respect of Stewardship of Third Party Monies
	Returning Officer's Election Expenses
	National Probation Service

Driving Offences: Prosecutions

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many drivers were prosecuted for being involved in fatal hit-and-run accidents in each of the last five years; and what the average length of sentence handed down was.

Maria Eagle: While the Department for Transport monitors details of road traffic accidents including 'hit and run', this information is not linked with details of any subsequent prosecutions.
	Although the Court Proceedings Database held by my Department can provide sentencing data on the numbers of defendants convicted of motoring offences that cause the death of a person, the information held cannot distinguish hit and run incidents from those where the driver remained at the scene.

Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2007,  Official Report, column 381W, on Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre, whether serious assaults are recorded separately from other assaults under the PSIMOn—Prison Service Information for Managers Online—system; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Yes, from April 2003 since when the key performance indicator for prison violence has been based on serious assaults which account for about 9 per cent. of all assault incidents. This replaced a measure based on the number of proven adjudications (the internal disciplinary process) for assaults generally. Pre and post April 2003 assault incident data cannot be readily compared.

Offenders: Females

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish his response to the Corston Review of women in the penal system.

David Hanson: The Government have given a broad welcome to the report. The 43 recommendations which it makes are wide-ranging and propose action by a number of different Government Departments and organisations. We are carefully exploring the best way of taking forward the recommendations with all the Departments and agencies concerned and will publish a detailed response by late autumn.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the expenditure was on  (a) treatment and  (b) rehabilitation for illegal drug users and  (b) treatment and rehabilitation of people dependent on alcohol within the criminal justice system in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: Funding allocated for those engaged in drug treatment within the Criminal Justice System is given in the following table.
	Funding for rehabilitation and support services is not disaggregated by type of offence.
	Funding for the provision of treatment and rehabilitation of people with an alcohol dependency is not recorded.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Allocations  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Prison Drug Treatment 12.6 16.5 27.3 28.7 37.7 48.4 57.4 74.4 76.1 
			 Allocation to Probation areas to fund DTTO/DRR supervision and enforcement costs in England and full DTTO/DRR costs in Wales(1) — — 21.2 16.0 24.0 34.0 39.0 39.0 39.0 
			 Amount paid to pooled treatment budget to fund DTTO/DRR treatment and testing in England(2) — — 14.8 20.0 29.7 42.0 42.0 42.0 42.0 
			 Centrally allocated funds for Alcohol Best Practice Project(3) — — — — — — — 0.09 0.03 
			 Drug Interventions Programme(DIP)(4) — — — — 36.0 119.0 143.0 175.0 149.0 
			 Prospects(5) — — — — — — 3.0 3.8 4.35 
			 Youth Justice Board allocations for the juvenile secure estate (YJB)(6) — — — — 10.0 10.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 
			 (1) Figures are unavailable for 1999-2000 and 2000-01. (2) Figures are unavailable for 1999-2000 and 2000-01. (3) Figures are only available for 2006-07 and 2007-08. (4) Figures are unavailable fort he period 1999-2000 to 2002-03 inclusive and 2007-08. Expenditure since 2003-04 for the Drug Interventions Programme, which aims to get drug misusing offenders out of crime and into treatment and other support, and therefore contributes to rehabilitation of offenders of drug users. (5) Figures only available for 2005-06 to 2007-08 inclusive. (6) Figures only available for 2003-04 to 2007-08 inclusive.

Prison Accommodation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions or meetings Ministers or officials in his Department had with the Home Office on the use or transfer of the Immigration Detention Estate for use in housing prisoners.

David Hanson: The Ministry of Justice and the Home Office hold regular discussions on a range of estate issues.
	There are no immediate plans to use or transfer any part of the Immigration Estate to prison use.
	The National Offender Management Service closely monitors the prison population and continues to investigate options for providing further increases in capacity.

Prison Service: Greater London

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many appeals against dismissal have been upheld by the Prison Service Area Manager for London since he took up his post; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Area Manager for London has upheld five appeals against dismissal since taking up his current post.

Prison Service: Professional Standards Unit

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 23 July 2007,  Official Report, column 791W, on the Prison Service: Professional Standards Unit, 
	(1)  whether an independent appeals process is available to address concerns about the standards of a commissioning authority; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what mechanisms are in place to ensure that a commissioning authority meets its obligations and has made the appropriate quality checks; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Prison Service Order (PSO) 8460: Conduct and Discipline explains the mandatory requirements for all aspects of the disciplinary process, including the role and responsibilities of the commissioning manager and appeal authority. There are no formal mechanisms in place to review the actions of a commissioning manager. However, there is a right of appeal against all formal disciplinary outcomes and any concerns regarding the decisions or actions of the commissioning manager can be raised at that appeal. The appeal authority would normally be a more senior manager than the person making the original disciplinary decision.

Prisoners: European Parliament Members

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any special arrangements will be made for Ashley Mote MEP, to enable him to continue his European Parliamentary work whilst in prison.

David Hanson: No special arrangements have been made to enable Mr. Mote to continue his work as an MEP. Mr. Mote's status as an MEP does not entitle him to any special privileges, or to be treated differently to any other prisoner.

Prisoners: Parole

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have passed the date on which they are eligible for parole but have not yet been assessed; and by how many days they are overdue on average.

David Hanson: The information requested is not held centrally and could be collated only by manual checking of individual case details, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Payments

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much money a prisoner is allowed to send out of his account to those outside prison in the form of a cash disbursement; what the purpose of a prisoner cash disbursement is; what level of authorisation is required for one; whether they are used as a means of intelligence gathering at HM Prison Service establishments; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Governor authorises and has discretion to decide the amount of money a prisoner can send out, having considered any security implications. The purpose of a cash disbursement is to enable prisoners to send money out of prison for a range of purposes which include providing financial support to their families. There are various means by which prisons gather intelligence and cash disbursements assist with this process.

Prisoners: Payments

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential link between prisoner cash disbursements and trafficking; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: There has been no assessment of this potential link at a national level. However, the link between the movement of cash from a prisoner's account and possible trafficking is one line of inquiry that may be explored by staff investigating individual allegations of trafficking.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what geographical subdivisions HM Prison Service uses for the purpose of administration; how many there are; how many prison establishments are located in each such area; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: There are 11 geographical areas in HM Prison Service and the numbers of prison establishments in each is shown in the following table. A map of prison establishments in England and Wales is in the Library of the House. HM Prison Service areas correspond to the Government Regions and Wales, except that the South East Government Region is divided into two Prison Service areas.
	
		
			  HM Prison Service areas 
			  Area  Number of establishments 
			 East Midlands 15 
			 Eastern 12 
			 London 7 
			 North East 7 
			 North West 14 
			 South East (Kent and Sussex) 12 
			 South East (South Central) 15 
			 South West 13 
			 Wales 3 
			 West Midlands 12 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 10 
			 High Security Prisons (not included in geographical areas) 8 
			 Contracted prisons (not managed by HM Prison Service) 11

Prisons: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what sites his Department has identified for a new prison in Wales.

David Hanson: A number of potential sites in Wales are currently being investigated as possible sites for new prison development. Once the process has been completed the sites with the most potential will be considered and at that stage will be made public and be subject to consultation.

Young Offenders: Crime Prevention

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received on crime prevention funding for youth offending teams over the next four years; and what discussions he has had on this issue with the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

David Hanson: I have received representations on this matter from the Youth Justice Board, as part of the normal process of agreeing their budget, and in writing from a small number of delivery organisations. There are also ongoing discussions with Department for Children, Schools and Families. Funding arrangements for the next CSR period will be announced in due course.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departments: ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost was of buying new  (a) laptops,  (b) mobile telephones and  (c) personal digital assistant devices for new Ministers in his Department following each Cabinet reshuffle since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The information requested would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Parliamentary Under Secretaries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total estimated annual cost is of  (a) expenses,  (b) salary,  (c) office space,  (d) administrative support and  (e) special advisers for the two new parliamentary under-secretaries of state in his Department.

Douglas Alexander: The information requested would be available only at disproportionate cost. A list of special advisers by Department and pay band will be published in due course. Details of ministerial salaries are available in the House Library and at:
	http:/www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/parliamentary/pay/ministerial/index.asp

Departments: Public Bodies

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list his Department's  (a) executive agencies,  (b) executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs),  (c) advisory NDPBs,  (d) tribunal NDPBs,  (e) trading funds and  (f) public corporations in each financial year since 2005-06.

Douglas Alexander: The executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) which DFID is responsible for are detailed in the report Public Bodies 2006, available on the following website:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/publications/pdf/public-bodies/publicbodies2006.pdf.
	In addition DFID is responsible for a public corporation, CDC (see DFID's Annual Report 2007 for more details).
	DFID does not have any executive agencies, tribunal NDPBs or trading funds.

Departments: Visits Abroad

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the official foreign trips which  (a) he has made since July and  (b) are scheduled for him to take before December.

Douglas Alexander: Since July I have made the following official foreign trips:
	Washington—for discussions with the World Bank and US Administration;
	Sudan—to visit Darfur and Juba, and for discussions with the Government;
	Afghanistan—to visit Kabul and Helmand, and for discussions with the Government;
	New York—for the United Nations General Assembly.
	Future ministerial travel plans are not disclosed on security grounds.

Developing Countries: Exports

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what restrictions are available to be applied to imported goods which are manufactured for United Kingdom-based retailers by work forces  (a) employed under conditions that do not meet minimum International Labour Organisation standards and  (b) operating in factory conditions that breach local environmental pollution regulations; and what mechanisms are in place to evaluate the working conditions of work forces abroad producing goods for import into the United Kingdom.

Gareth Thomas: We continue to provide support and advice to build developing countries own ability to meet International Labour Organisation (ILO) and environmental standards, rather than seeking to impose solutions from outside.
	The UK has consistently promoted efforts to ensure that international trade takes place on a sustainable basis, the principles of which include respect for the rights of workers and for environmental standards. We support voluntary codes of practice such as the Ethical Trading Initiative and the Fairtrade Foundation. We also support the work of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which has a three-year, £20 million partnership agreement with DFID. The UK Government are also supporting sustainable development through measures such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative.
	There are no restrictions available to be applied to imported goods which are manufactured for United Kingdom-based retailers by work forces that are either employed under conditions that do not meet International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards, or that operate in factory conditions that breach local environmental pollution regulations. This is because there would be significant practical obstacles to implementing such measures, as well as the fact that it would be difficult to make them compatible with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.

Developing Countries: International Assistance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries the Government expect  (a) to meet and  (b) not to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Douglas Alexander: The 2007 UN Millennium Development Goals Report, which can be found on http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Default.aspx, reports progress on each of the goals by region and shows where the challenges to achieving them by 2015 are greatest. Country level information is not currently published.
	DFID will continue to provide an update on progress against the MDGs for individual countries identified within the Public Service Agreement in its Annual report. The latest assessment of progress can be found in the 2007 report "Development on the Record", which is available at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/departmental-report/2007/default.asp

Ethiopia

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: A United Nations team made an assessment of the situation at the beginning of September. It concluded that although there was no major humanitarian crisis in the Somali (Ogaden) region, humanitarian conditions within conflict areas were deteriorating; there was an urgent need for food and medical supplies and for help with water and sanitation.
	The Government of Ethiopia have accepted the report's conclusions and is working with the UN on an action plan to implement the recommendations. Restrictions on commercial traffic, which were causing dramatic increases in food prices, have now been lifted and four major cross-border commercial routes have been opened. Improvements are expected as a result of the resumption of trade and the start of the rainy season. DFID and the other donors are working with the Ethiopian Government and the United Nations to ensure that humanitarian assistance will be delivered to those who need it.

Ethiopia

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Ethiopian Government about the security situation in the Ogaden region; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The British ambassador raised the issue of the security situation in the Somali (Ogaden) region of Ethiopia with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in September. This followed a United Nations assessment mission to the region from 30 August to 5 September, the conclusions of which have been accepted by the Ethiopian Government, and security is now improving. The Ethiopian response to the UN assessment has been reassuring, and we hope that the situation will continue to improve in the coming months.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria: Finance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make it his policy to make a contribution of £700 million over three years to the Global Fund to fight  (a) AIDS,  (b) tuberculosis and  (c) malaria; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: At the Global Fund Replenishment conference on 27 September, the UK made an unprecedented eight-year commitment of up to £1 billion.
	The Global Fund has performed sufficiently well, and the need is so great, that we decided to maintain the UK's current high level of contribution to the fund. We therefore pledged £360 million over the three-year replenishment period (2008-10), with £30 million of this subject to demand and results. This represents a 20 per cent. increase on our current level of commitment and maintains our share of the total replenishment at 7.5 per cent.
	But over and above this, we also pledged an additional £640 million from 2011-15, providing the Global Fund is receiving good quality demand, continues to perform well, and is demonstrating sustainable impact.
	People suffering from HIV/AIDS need life-long uninterrupted treatment. Building up the health services of developing countries to treat HIV/AIDS sufferers and cure those afflicted by TB and malaria requires reliable and sustained investment. The long-term predictable funding now committed by the UK to the Global Fund will significantly enhance the fund's capacity to support developing countries in fighting the three pandemic diseases and making the investment in their health systems needed to sustain this fight and serve the full health needs of their populations.

Iraq: International Assistance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects the  (a) International Monetary Fund and  (b) World Bank has financed in Iraq.

Shahid Malik: Since 2003, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has had two programmes in Iraq. The first of these was the Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance programme, approved in September 2004 to the value of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) 297 million. The second and current programme is the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), which gives Iraq access to SDR 475 million should it require assistance. This programme will finish in December 2007, and the Government of Iraq and IMF are currently discussing a successor programme. The IMF is also providing US $6 million in technical assistance and capacity-building on fiscal, monetary, financial and statistical issues.
	The World Bank, which started to re-engage with Iraq in mid-2003, manages a multi-donor Trust Fund to provide short and medium-term reconstruction needs. It has committed most of its resources, but disbursement has been limited ($108 million out of $490 million to date). This year the World Bank has approved four International Development Association loans worth $400 million for projects in the electricity, infrastructure and education sectors. It is also providing important analytical services to help strengthen public institutions: for example it is carrying out an assessment of Iraqi public financial management systems with the intention of developing a reform programme. More information can be found at:
	www.worldbank.org

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to reply to the letter of 10 July from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire addressed to the Prime Minister and passed to his Department, on international development issues, on behalf of Mr. Owen Morgan.

Douglas Alexander: My hon. Friend Baroness Vadera has replied to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's letter of 10 July.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 10 July, addressed to the Prime Minister and passed to his Department, about international development issues, on behalf of Mrs. D. M. Green.

Douglas Alexander: My hon. Friend Baroness Vadera has replied to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's letter of 10 July.

Members: Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Forest of Dean dated 6 July to the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath on international aid.

Douglas Alexander: My hon. Friend Baroness Vadera has replied to the hon. Member for Forest of Dean's letter of 6 July.

Zimbabwe

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussion he has had with the  (a) United Nations,  (b) EU and  (c) African Union on the humanitarian and economic situation in Zimbabwe; and what steps he is taking to improve that situation.

Gareth Thomas: The Secretary of State for International Development recently discussed the situation in Zimbabwe with the UN Secretary General in New York. He and the Foreign Secretary have also had high level discussions in recent weeks with the AU and EU, and key member states of both.
	We continue to provide between £30 million and £40 million of humanitarian assistance a year to protect the Zimbabwean people from the worst effects of the current crisis, and are giving support to those in Zimbabwe working for democratic change. When the time is right, we stand ready to support a major international programme to assist Zimbabwe's recovery.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many prisoners have been taken by UK forces in Afghanistan in each  (a) week and  (b) month since June 2006.

Bob Ainsworth: We do not operate a policy of internment in Afghanistan. UK forces do occasionally briefly detain suspected criminals so that they can be passed to the Government of Afghanistan. Our records indicate that the number of detainees that have passed through British custody between June 2006 and August 2007 are as follows:
	
		
			  Month  Week  Number 
			  2006   
			 July 10-16 1 
			  17-23 3 
			 August/September 28-03 7 (September) 
			  11-17 1 
			  18-24 8 
			 October 23-29 1 
			 October/November 30-05 1 (November) 
			
			  2007   
			 January 08-14 1 
			  15-21 5 
			 February 12-18 12 
			  19-25 2 
			 March 05-11 4 
			 April 02-08 5 
			  09-15 1 
			 April/May 30-06 3 (April) 6 (May) 
			  14-20 4 
			 May/June 28-03 1 (May) 
			  04-10 2 
			  11-17 5 
			  18-24 3 
			 June/July 25-01 1 (July) 
			  02-08 8 
			  09-15 7 
			  16-22 3 
			  23-29 2 
			 July/August 30-05 17 (July) 
			  06-12 3 
			  20-26 1 
			 August/September 27-02 7 (August) 
			 Total — 125

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) 5.56 mm,  (b) 7.62 mm and  (c) 105 mm rounds have been discharged in Afghanistan by British forces since June 2006.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of rounds of these types of ammunition used by UK forces in Afghanistan from June 2006 to the end of September 2007 are as follows:
	
		
			  Ammunition type  Number of rounds discharged 
			 5.56 mm Approx 1.1 million rounds 
			 7.62 mm Approx 1.6 million rounds 
			 105 mm high explosive Approx 12,000 rounds

Armed Forces: Casualties

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the regulations governing the return of fatalities to the UK; whether they are transported on aircraft carrying soldiers; and whether coffins are transported in view of travelling personnel.

Des Browne: Military aircraft involved in the repatriation of a fatality do not normally carry passengers unless it is judged operationally essential, for example when injured personnel require aeromedical evacuation. When injured personnel or other passengers are aboard, a screen is placed across the aircraft to separate them from the coffin carrying the deceased. Any additional personnel would also disembark separately, prior to the repatriation ceremony.

Armed Forces: Prisons

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans exist for using the armed forces to replace prison guards during a strike.

Bob Ainsworth: Service personnel are only used to provide cover during industrial disputes such as prison strikes as a last resort. There are accordingly no armed forces personnel on permanent stand-by to provide cover for striking prison officers. In the event of a strike, HM Prison Service will explore all available options, with armed forces personnel being used only if necessary.

Chad

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with his European counterparts on a European Union military mission to Chad during the meeting of Defence Ministers in Evora, Portugal, 28 September; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I discussed issues relating to force generation and funding for the planned EU-led military mission to Chad/Central African Republic, although no decisions were taken. I emphasised that the UK supports the mission as an important contribution to regional stability and a resolution to the Darfur crisis, but we have made it clear that the role of the UK armed forces in any mission will be very limited given the extent of our commitments elsewhere.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's  (a) administrative expenditure,  (b) other current expenditure,  (c) grant expenditure,  (d) operating appropriations in aid (A in A),  (e) capital and  (f) non-operating A in A outturn, broken down in (i) near cash and (ii) non-cash terms, was for financial years 2001-02 to 2006-07.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the right hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 21-38, on Iraq, where the 2,500 British personnel in Iraq will be based from spring 2008 providing the security conditions on the ground in Iraq to permit the reduction of British military forces.

Des Browne: From spring 2008, around 2,500 British forces personnel will be based in southern Iraq, with the majority located at the contingency operating base at Basra air station.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current mission objectives are of British forces operating along the Iraq-Iran border.

Des Browne: The mission objectives are to enhance border security and deter and intercept the smuggling of illegal weapons through the training and mentoring of Department of Border Enforcement personnel and by discrete supporting operations.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his American counterpart on the future security of the Iraq-Iran border.

Des Browne: I hold regular discussions with the US Defense Secretary on issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Iraq.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the security situation in  (a) Basra, (b) Maysan,  (c) Dhi Qar and  (d) Al Muthanna.

Des Browne: While there are still problems and challenges to be overcome, the general security situation in Basra province remains relatively stable and attacks against coalition forces have reduced sharply in recent months. Crime rates in Basra during September remain similar to the levels prior to the handover of Basra palace to Iraqi control. Where security incidents have occurred, the Iraqi security forces, under the leadership of General Mohan, have demonstrated their ability to deal with them swiftly and effectively.
	The three other provinces in Multi-National Division South East are all under provincial Iraqi control. The overall security situation in all three is generally stable, and where isolated incidents of violence have occurred, the Iraqi security forces have again demonstrated that they are well able to deal with them effectively.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his American counterpart on the use by British forces of the American military base Camp Arifjan in Kuwait; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I have regular discussions with my US counterpart on issues of mutual interest, including the deployment of British forces in support of Operation Telic.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which private contractors provided force protection for British forces in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each year since 2001, broken down by company.

Des Browne: The MOD has not employed private military or security companies to provide force protection for its military personnel deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. ArmorGroup was contracted to provide guards for the UK Defence Advisers' accommodation in Kabul for three months.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the reduction of British forces from 4,500 to 4,000 mentioned in the Prime Minister's statement on Iraq, 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 21-38, will result in the difference of 500 troops being  (a) sent home to the United Kingdom or  (b) to another base outside Iraq but still in the region; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 11 October 2007
	The Prime Minister made clear the position with respect to future UK force levels in southern Iraq in his statement to the House on 8 October.
	Reductions in UK force levels in Southern Iraq below the level of 4,500 are planned to result in troops being withdrawn from the region to their home bases in the UK and Germany.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what date the 500 British Armed Forces logistics personnel mentioned in the Prime Minister's statement on Iraq of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 21-38, will enter the area of operations.

Des Browne: holding answer 11 October 2007
	The move of logistics and support personnel out of Iraq will straddle the roulement of UK forces. As a result some will transfer from Basra while others may deploy directly from the UK or Germany. It is not possible to provide a breakdown at this stage. It is planned that this process will be complete by the end of the year.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cap badge is of the military personnel performing force protection duties at Basra airfield.

Des Browne: holding answer 11 October 2007
	Force Protection arrangements at Basra airfield are complex, multi layered and constantly evolving to respond to the changing security situation. Royal Air Force, British Army and coalition personnel contribute to this in many different roles. It is not practicable to give the cap badge of every military personnel involved at any particular time.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what date British forces will total 4,000 personnel in Iraq.

Des Browne: holding answer 11 October 2007
	The drawdown of forces to 4,000 is conditions-based. No date has been set.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the 1,000 personnel to be withdrawn from Iraq are to be located following their withdrawal.

Des Browne: 500 troops are in the process of returning to home bases now. The process of moving 500 logistic and support staff from Iraq to elsewhere in the region will also begin shortly. This process will extend over the next roulement of forces. Some troops will reposition directly from Iraq and others will return to the UK and will be replaced by troops who will deploy from UK and Germany to new locations in the region. It is not possible to determine the precise breakdown at this stage.
	Further reductions will involve troops returning to their home bases.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Minister for Veterans will reply to the letter of 21 August 2007, Departmental reference MC04605/2007, from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire.

Derek Twigg: I replied to the hon. Member on 30 September.

Military Exercises

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what involvement the UK has in Exercise Vigilant Shield 08; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the UK of the exercise.

Des Browne: The UK is not engaged in Exercise Vigilant Shield 08 but is participating in Exercise Global Lightning 08, a related exercise under the aegis of the US Department of Homeland Security's overarching exercise "Top Officials 4". The costs to the UK are estimated at around £5,000 and have been met from existing travel and subsistence budgets.

Military Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any units of the British Army have declined to take  (a) Snatch Landrovers and  (b) other vehicles to operational theatre.

Des Browne: The Permanent Joint Headquarters determines which vehicles are deployed, based on advice from operational commanders. Units deploy vehicles to meet this requirement. No unit has declined to take vehicles required for use in theatre.

Written Questions

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons Questions  (a) 154393,  (b) 154394 and  (c) 154397 on the Royal Navy, tabled by the hon. Member for New Forest East on 26 July 2007 for named day answer on 8 October 2007, have not yet received substantive answers; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The answers were delayed as my weekend ministerial box was not delivered to the office until 9 October as a result of the postal strike. I replied to the hon. Member on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 501 and 510-11W.

TRANSPORT

Cars: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the car-free day initiative in Hampshire in September 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport sponsors a national coordinator to promote the car free initiative ('In Town, Without My Car') and to collate information about local authorities who wish to register. This event takes place annually on 22 September as part of European Mobility Week. We also provide a good practice guide—Making 'In Town, Without My Car' Work—which is available free of charge to the public. Records of participating towns and cities throughout the UK are kept on the Mobility Week website. This year there were 58 participating towns although none of them were in Hampshire. The link is at:
	http://www.mobilityweek.eu/cities/participants_eu.php?page=rubique
	The event is voluntary and it is for local authorities to decide whether they take part and how they wish to participate. Each year European Mobility Week has a theme aimed at promoting sustainable travel initiatives. This year's theme was 'Streets for People'.
	Local authorities are aware that the Government see most merit in initiatives that reduce the need for car use and encourage better facilities for cyclists and walkers and we have stressed that it is essential that sufficient good quality public transport is provided to meet the needs of those who wish to travel on the day.

Departments: Public Bodies

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will list her Department's  (a) executive agencies,  (b) executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs),  (c) advisory NDPBs,  (d) tribunal NDPBs,  (e) trading funds and  (f) public corporations in each financial year since 2005-06.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Details of the Department for Transport's executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies, trading funds and public corporations for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are set out in the Department's annual reports for 2006 and 2007.
	The Cabinet Office provided a central list of all non-departmental public bodies for 2005-06 in its publication 'Public Bodies 2006'. The Cabinet Office also publishes the List of Ministerial Responsibilities, which is updated on a regular basis and lists all executive agencies.

Home Zones

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the location is of each  (a) completed Home Zone and  (b) Home Zone under construction.

Rosie Winterton: The Government do not hold information on the location of all Home Zone schemes, as local authorities are able to implement them independently and are not required to provide details. Locations of completed schemes funded from the Government's Home Zones Challenge programme, and the pilot Home Zone schemes which preceded it, are listed in the following table.
	
		
			  Government office region  Authority  Scheme location 
			 Eastern Luton Haymarket Green 
			  Norfolk Cavell Road, Norwich 
			  Peterborough New England(1) 
			  Suffolk Cambridge Road, Lowestoft 
			
			 North East Darlington Pateley Moor Crescent 
			  Gateshead Tyne Park 
			  Middlesbrough Gresham Area 
			  North Tyneside The Triangle 
			  Northumberland Cowpen Quay, Blyth 
			  South Tyneside Cleadon Park 
			
			 North West Blackpool Talbot and Brunswick 
			  Bolton Oldham's Estate 
			  Bury Aston Estate 
			  Cheshire Egerton Street Area, Chester 
			  Lancashire Poulton Area, Morecambe 
			   South West Area, Burnley 
			  Liverpool Grafton Street 
			  Manchester Northmoor Phase 1(1) 
			   Northmoor Phase 2 
			  Rochdale Wardleworth 
			  St. Helens Bidston Avenue 
			  Tameside Ashton West End 
			  Trafford Addiston Crescent 
			  Warrington Whitecross 
			  Wigan Browning Street 
			  Wirral Dundonald and Methuen Streets 
			
			 South East East Sussex Town Farm Estate, Hailsham 
			  Hampshire Castle Grove, Porchester 
			  Kent Cavell Way, Sittingbourne(1) 
			   Northcourt Estate, Denton 
			  Oxfordshire Saxton Road, Abingdon 
			  Reading Kingsbridge Road 
			  Southampton Radcliffe Road 
			  Surrey Nutley Lane, Reigate 
			  West Sussex North West Bognor Regis 
			
			 South West Bath and North East Somerset Albert Avenue, Peasedown St. John 
			  Bristol Southville 
			  Cornwall North Close Estate, Redruth 
			  Devon Wonford Estate, Exeter 
			  Plymouth Morice Town(1) 
			  Wiltshire College Community Area, Trowbridge 
			   Westleigh Area, Warminster 
			
			 West Midlands Birmingham Pitts Farm, Erdington 
			  Staffordshire Silkmore, Stafford 
			   Wilmot Drive, Newcastle under Lyme 
			  Telford and Wrekin West Woodside 
			  Wolverhampton Fordhouses 
			  Worcestershire Duke of Edinburgh Way, Malvern 
			
			 East Midlands Derby Normanton 
			  Nottingham Nobel Road(1) 
			   Kennington Road Area 
			
			 Yorkshire and Humberside Kingston upon Hull Albany Street 
			  Kirklees Moorside Estate 
			  Leeds The Methleys(1) Littlemoor 
			  North Lincolnshire Crosby/Frodingham, Scunthorpe 
			
			 London Bromley Rookery Gardens, St. Mary's Cray 
			  Camden Lupton Street 
			  Ealing Five Roads(1) 
			  Greenwich Deptford Green 
			  Haringey Linden Road 
			  Kingston upon Thames Cavendish Road 
			  Lambeth Holmewood(1) (completion uncertain ) 
			  Newham Cranberry Estate 
			  Southwark Sutherland Square 
			
			 Wales Monmouthshire Magor Village(1) 
			 (1 )Pilot project.

Lorries: Accidents

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of all collisions involving large goods vehicles involved foreign-registered vehicles in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested for reported personal injury road accidents involving foreign registered vehicles is available from table 53 of 'Road Casualties Great Britain: 2006 annual report'. Copies of the report have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. This table can also be found on the Department's website at the following web address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/172974/173025/221412/221549/227755/285672/WebTables4153.xls

M1: Castle Donington

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2007,  Official Report, column 906W, on the M1: Castle Donington, if, following the traffic management pilot project on the M42 south east of Birmingham, she plans to allow the use of hard shoulders on motorways at times of severe congestion.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Highways Agency is still evaluating the Active Traffic Management pilot project on the M42 and hopes to be in a position to make the results of its findings available shortly.
	My hon. Friend, the then Minister of State for Transport, the hon. Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) announced in December 2006 that we will work with the Highways Agency to develop the case for productivity Transport Innovation Fund funding for an Active Traffic Management Scheme on the Birmingham Motorway Box. Beyond this, there are no plans at the present time to allow traffic to use the hard shoulder in response to severe congestion.

M1: Dunstable

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to build junction 11a of the M1 during the widening of this stretch of the M1; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State accepted the regional assembly's advice that the scheme should be funded in the period 2011-12 to 2015-16 but that it should be considered for an earlier start if there is slippage on other schemes in the East of England region.
	In the meantime, the Highways Agency has been instructed to progress the scheme through the statutory process, including a public inquiry if necessary, to allow construction of the whole scheme, or junction 11a only, concurrently with M1 widening junction 10-13 in 2010-11 if funding can be made available.

M1: Dunstable

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the latest estimate is of the additional cost of building junction 11a of the M1 after the M1 has been widened between junctions 10 and 13, over and above the previous estimate of £14.6 million given by the Highways Agency.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The latest estimate of the additional cost of construction of the proposed M1 junction 11a (part of A5-M1 link (Dunstable Northern bypass)) in 2013-14, compared to construction concurrently with M1 widening junction 10-13 in 2010-11, is £11.5 million (including the effect of inflation).

Motor Vehicles: Navigation

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on her Department's consultation on in-vehicle information systems.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has conducted an informal consultation on in-vehicle information systems and intends to publish a summary of the results by the end of the year.
	It will be published on the departmental website, and copies will be sent to the Libraries of both Houses.

Motor Vehicles: Navigation

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the expected timescale is for the publication of the proposals on in-vehicle information systems.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has conducted an informal consultation on in-vehicle information systems and intends to publish a summary of the results by the end of the year. The responses to this consultation, together with other information, will inform any proposals on how to move forward.

Motor Vehicles: Navigation

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the likely impact of Galileo on the In-Vehicle Information System; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has made no formal assessment of the likely impact of Galileo on In-Vehicle Information Systems. It is not expected to have any significant effect.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and public service vehicles (PSV) were tested in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07; how many such vehicles were not tested; how many such vehicles were fitted with speed limiters; how many centres in fitting limiters were approved by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the relevant period; and how many HGVs and PSVs failed a test in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 11 October 2007
	The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is responsible for heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and public service vehicles (PSV) annual tests. Data on the number of vehicles tested, how many failed and the number of approved speed limiter sealer centres is published annually in its Effectiveness Report which is available online at www.vosa.gov.uk or from the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport Section.
	VOSA does not hold data on the number of HGVs and PSVs that were not tested or how many vehicles were fitted with speed limiters.

Railway Network: St. Pancras Railway Station

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to build a network of high speed rail lines radiating from St. Pancras; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: A high speed line from St. Pancras will open for revenue earning service on 14 November 2007, serving both Brussels and Paris. The White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Railway, discussed the merits of further high speed rail lines but concluded that decisions on building such lines need not be made until 2012.

Roads: Accidents

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the extent to which STATS 19 returns underestimate the actual number of road traffic accident casualties; and when her Department became aware of the issue.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 11 October  2007
	Very few, if any, fatal accidents do not become known to the police. However, research conducted on behalf of the Department for Transport has shown that an appreciable proportion of non-fatal injury accidents are not reported to the police. There is no legal duty in Great Britain to report personal injury road accidents to the police provided the participants exchange details at the scene.
	One of the earliest attempts to quantify the level of reporting in STATS 19 was published in 1979 in the report "Classification of injury severity by length of stay in hospital".
	Further studies have been undertaken which also provide estimates of this shortfall and the most recent work on reporting levels was drawn together in the report "Road Safety Research Report 69: Under-reporting of Road Casualties - Phase 1" commissioned by the Department and published in June 2006:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme5/underreportingofroadcasualti4788
	A note on levels of reporting on STATS 19 can be found on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/roadaccidentstatisticsgrea1835

Speed Limits: Cameras

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will assess the merits of replacing existing speed cameras with vehicle-activated speed signs; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Traffic authorities have a wide range of measures at their disposal to achieve appropriate vehicle speeds and they are best placed to decide the most suitable approach at a particular location. Vehicle activated signs and safety cameras are used to tackle different speeding problems. Vehicle activated signs are generally used to tackle inappropriate speed and have proven particularly effective when used to warn drivers of approaching hazards on rural roads. Safety cameras are effective in tackling excessive speed (i.e. over the posted speed limit).

Speed Limits: Schools

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what difference has been recorded in the number of casualties which have occurred outside schools after the creation of 20 mph zones outside these schools; what percentage change that figure represents; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of 20 mph zones outside schools.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not hold information on how many schools fall within 20 mph zones nor therefore how many casualties have occurred outside schools after the creation of 20 mph zones. Local authorities are responsible for introducing 20 mph speed limits where they deem it appropriate.
	No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of 20 mph zones outside schools. The Transport Research Laboratory conducted two reviews of 20 mph zones in 1996 and again in 1998. The 1996 review found that 20 mph zones which incorporated traffic calming measures achieved an average 9 mph reduction in vehicle speeds, annual accident frequency fell by 60 per cent. and overall reduction in child accidents of 67 per cent.
	The 1998 review looked at wider issues in terms of vehicle speeds and included 20 mph zones and 20 mph limits where there was lesser or no traffic calming. This found reductions in vehicle speeds were minimal when only speed limit signs were used.

Transport Direct: Internet

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the contribution of the Transport Direct portal to journey decisions since December 2005, with particular reference to modal shift.

Rosie Winterton: The portal service includes a self-completion feedback questionnaire. The responses to the questionnaire suggested that for individuals who had made the journey before (about a third of the 2,034 respondents):
	17 per cent. claimed they would change their route;
	24 per cent. would change when they intended to travel.
	Indicative findings also suggest a predisposition for those travellers who have made a journey before, to change how they might travel:
	7.7 per cent. intended as a result of what they found on Transport Direct to use public transport rather than the car, while 2.3 percent. intended to use the car instead of public transport.
	This information corrects that given on 18 July 2006,  Official Report, column 264W, to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael).

Travel: Concessions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the progress of discussions with her counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the prospects for mutual recognition of concessionary bus passes across the UK;
	(2)  whether any assessment has been made of the feasibility and cost of allowing people aged 60 and over, and eligible disabled people, to be provided with free travel on public transport around the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Concessionary travel is a devolved policy area and the devolved Administrations have their own arrangements in place.
	From 1 April 2008, people aged 60 and over and eligible disabled people in England will be entitled to free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England, not just within their local area as at present. This is provided for in the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007. The Government announced that up to £250 million of additional funding is to be made available each year for the national bus concession. This equates to £212 million for England after allocations to the devolved Administrations under the Barnett formula.
	The Act also contains a power to allow, via future secondary legislation, for the possibility of mutual recognition of bus passes across the UK. The Department for Transport had initial discussions with the devolved Administrations last year about the proposal and all indicated support for inclusion of this power. However, it was also acknowledged that we would need to discuss it further and work together to resolve various technical and resource issues before mutual recognition could be pursued in practice.
	At present, the Government's priority is successful implementation of the national concession in England from next April. These arrangements will see the largest number of people benefiting from concessionary travel and will also be the most expensive in the UK. Until we understand the impact of the national bus concession in England it is very difficult to cost the mutual recognition of passes across the UK. Consideration would also have to be given to the possible harmonisation of modes, timings and eligibility in England, with those in the rest of the UK where there are differing arrangements—all of which increase the potential cost of providing UK wide free travel.
	Local authorities in England will continue to have the flexibility to offer more than the statutory concession to their residents, for example morning peak bus travel for disabled and/or older people. English local authorities neighbouring Scotland or Wales can also offer concessionary travel that crosses the border. Any such enhancements are discretionary and are based on an authority's own assessment of local need and their overall financial priorities.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Floods

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the cost to farmers in England of the summer floods, broken down by  (a) county and  (b) region; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Data on the economic cost to farmers in England of the summer 2007 floods are not yet available due to the nature of the flooding. DEFRA has commissioned work to estimate the value of immediate crop and livestock losses from flooding, and will publish this when it is complete later in the year.

Battery Hens: EU Law

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to support the introduction of the prohibition on battery cages in 2012 contained in the 1999 EU Laying Hens Directive.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 11 October 2007
	 Council Directive 99/74/EC prohibits the use of conventional (battery) cages from 1 January 2012. The Directive has been transposed into domestic legislation and includes the deadline for the ban on these cages.

Circuses

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what legislation regulates the use of wild animals in travelling circuses; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Protection of Animals Act 1911 long made it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to a domestic or captive animal. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (AWA), which became law on 6 April 2007 in England (on 27 March in Wales), repealed and replaced the 1911 Act. Importantly, it introduced a duty of care which allows a prosecution to be brought where an animal, although not currently suffering, is being treated in a way that fails to meet its welfare needs.
	In March 2006, my hon. Friend the then Minister for Animal Welfare (Ben Bradshaw) announced that he was minded to introduce regulations under section 12 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to ban the use, in travelling circuses, of certain non-domesticated species whose welfare needs could not be satisfactorily met in that environment. A Circus Working Group was formed to inform our decisions as to what form regulations should take. The Working Group will, shortly, provide a report setting out its findings.

Departments: Public Bodies

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list his Department's  (a) executive agencies,  (b) executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs),  (c) advisory NDPBs,  (d) tribunal NDPBs,  (e) trading funds and  (f) public corporations for each financial year since 2005-06.

Jonathan R Shaw: A full list of delivery bodies in the above categories can be found at notes 37 and 38 of the Department's latest published resource accounts, for the 2005-06 fiscal year. The draft 2006-07 resource accounts include two new executive NDPBs:
	The Commission for Rural Communities; and
	Natural England.

Departments: Publications

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which individuals and organisations his Department's "Tomorrow's Climate, Today's Challenge" pack has been distributed; and what the cost of distributing the pack has been  (a) in total,  (b) for research,  (c) in staff time and  (d) for printing.

Phil Woolas: The "Tomorrow's Climate, Today's Challenge" (TCTC) pack, which was published on 4 June 2007, has been distributed to a very wide range of organisations. To date, DEFRA has distributed around 4,167 copies of the TCTC pack and will distribute the remaining 5,833 over the course of the year.
	I have arranged for a list of the organisations which have been sent the TCTC pack to be placed in the Libraries of the House. Most of the organisations requested the pack and some organisations have been sent more than one copy.
	The information the hon. Member requests regarding individuals has not been provided as disclosure of this information would constitute unfair and unlawful use of personal data.
	The costs of distributing the pack (including VAT where applicable) are set out in the following table. They do not include figures for producing the content of the DVD included in the pack as this was part of a separate project.
	
		
			   £ 
			  (a) Cost of distributing in total Estimated at (1)34,521 
			  (b) Research(2) 16,807 
			  (c) Staff time(3) Estimated at (1)3,670 
			  (d) Printing (10,000 copies) 12,043.75 
			 (1) Incl. estimated postage costs at £2,000 (£0.48 per pack—UK first class postage). (2) Research here is taken to mean design and gathering of information as no primary research was undertaken. (3) Excl. staff time at Central Office of Information who developed the pack. This is included in research costs.

Environment Agency

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he expects to meet the full budget recently requested by the Environment Agency.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA's formal Comprehensive Spending Review settlement for 2008-09 to 20010-11 has been announced. The Secretary of State has also announced that annual Government spending on flood and coastal erosion risk management will rise to a minimum of £650 million in 2008-09, and £700 million in 2009-10, reaching £800 million by 2010-11. These figures compare with a forecast spend of £600 million in 2007-08 and is the minimum we propose to spend in each of the coming years. It is too early to determine whether this will be the final allocation, or whether it will be possible to go further.
	DEFRA will now consider its own financial allocation process, during which budgets for the Environment Agency will be determined. This process will be based on careful prioritisation across the Department and all its sponsored bodies. Allocations between operating authorities will be confirmed following the medium-term planning exercise for capital projects later this year.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the fishing opportunities available for UK vessels in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: No such estimates have been made. The second instalment of the scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), covering a number of stocks of importance to the UK, is not due to be published until later this month. We do not expect the Commission proposals for these and other relevant stocks to appear until late November.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with his counterparts in  (a) the Scottish Executive,  (b) the Welsh Assembly Government and  (c) the Northern Ireland Executive on the UK Operational Programme for the European Fisheries Fund priorities; when he expects the draft Operational Programme to be ready for consultation; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the progress of the UK Operational Programme for the European Fisheries Fund.

Jonathan R Shaw: Officials from the four fisheries administrations in the UK are currently working on the draft UK Operational Programme which will set out our proposals for the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) funding priorities. We aim to consult with fishermen and other stakeholders on the Operational Programme in early 2008.
	We cannot finalise the draft programme until agreement is reached on the split of the EFF budget between the devolved Administrations. The UK budget split was discussed by devolved Fisheries Ministers on 5 October without resolution. I am continuing to seek a resolution and, if necessary, will do so through the dispute resolution procedures set out in the devolution agreements.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much European Fisheries Fund funding is available to the fishing industry in the UK over the period January 2007 to December 2013; how much has already been paid to the UK fishing industry, broken down by  (a) licensing district and  (b) sector; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The UK portion of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) budget is €137.8 million (approx. £96 million), of which €43 million (approx. £30 million) is for convergence areas and €94.7 million (approx. £66 million) is for non-convergence areas (in current prices).
	No EFF payments have been made in the UK to date. Payments cannot be made until the UK has finalised its Operational Programme and received approval of the programme from the Commission.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the size of the European Fisheries Fund for the period January 2007 to December 2013 is in  (a) euros and  (b) pounds sterling; and how much is being allocated to each country.

Jonathan R Shaw: The European Fisheries Fund has a budget of €3,849 million (approximately £2,665 million) for the period 2007-13 (2004 prices). This equates to €4,387 million (approximately £3,038 million) in current prices.
	The amount allocated to each country is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Allocation of EFF to each country in 2004 prices 
			  Euros 
			  Member state  Convergence  Non-convergence  Total 
			 Austria 167,228 4,500,253 4,667,481 
			 Belgium — 23,301,312 23,301,312 
			 Bulgaria 70,406,358 — 70,406,358 
			 Cyprus — 17,500,989 17,500,989 
			 Czech Republic 24,003,691 — 24,003,691 
			 Denmark — 118,606,682 118,606,682 
			 Estonia 74,632,182 — 74,632,182 
			 Finland — 35,001,972 35,001,972 
			 France 30,389,485 161,309,090 191,698,575 
			 Germany 86,073,715 52,352,951 138,426,666 
			 Greece 157,293,830 27,501,551 184,795,381 
			 Hungary 30,399,339 496,000 30,895,339 
			 Ireland — 37,502,115 37,502,115 
			 Italy 282,489,352 94,105,302 376,594,654 
			 Latvia 110,369,814 — 110,369,814 
			 Lithuania 48,418,135 — 48,418,135 
			 Malta 7,435,476 — 7,435,476 
			 Netherlands — 43,102,430 43,102,430 
			 Poland 651,791,012 — 651,791,012 
			 Portugal 198,766,492 20,001,128 218,767,620 
			 Romania 202,556,179 — 202,556,179 
			 Slovakia 11,242,552 892,801 12,135,353 
			 Slovenia 19,330,990 — 19,330,990 
			 Spain 840,215,806 165,209,310 1,005,425,116 
			 Sweden — 48,502,732 48,502,732 
			 United Kingdom 38,335,019 84,004,734 122,339,753 
			 Technical assistance — — 30,791,993 
			 Total (in euros) 2,884,316,655 933,891,352 3,849,000,000

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the UK Operational Programme containing the UK priorities for the European Fisheries Fund will be scrutinised by the European Commission; how long he expects this process to last; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The European Commission (EC) will appraise the proposed Operational Programme to determine whether it contributes to the objectives set out in Article 4, the guiding principles set out in Article 19 and the relevant part of the National Strategic Programme. The EC will take into account the ex ante evaluation referred to in Article 48 of the European Fisheries Fund Regulations (1198/2006).
	If within two months following receipt of a member state's proposed Operational Programme, the EC considers that the programme is not consistent with the above factors, it may ask the member state to provide additional information. Where appropriate, the EC will ask the member state to adapt the proposed Operational Programme accordingly and re-submit it for approval.
	Thereafter, the member state shall submit its Operational Programme to the EC which shall adopt a decision approving it as soon as possible, but no later than four months after the re-submission.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding priorities he has identified for the allocation of grants from the European Fisheries Fund for the period January 2007 to December 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The European Fisheries Fund identifies priority axes for funding which, for England, have been provisionally classified as follows:
	
		
			  Priority axis—England 
			   Priority axis  
			 1. Adaptation of the Community fishing fleet Low priority 
			  (e.g. decommissioning and other fleet restructuring/effort management measures as well as skills development, retraining for alternative occupations and early retirement. Also vessel modernisation and engine replacement). Target: more stocks within safe biological limits year by year, during 2007-13. 
			
			 2. Aquaculture, inland fishing, processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products Low priority 
			  (e.g. investment in aquaculture, inland fishing, and processing and marketing. Consideration is given to the environment, safety, working conditions and both public and animal health). Target: to increase profitability and sustainability and improve environmental standards in the UK aquaculture sector between 2007-13. 
			
			 3. Measures of common benefit High priority 
			  (e.g. measures of common interest with a broader scope than those normally undertaken by private enterprises. So this can include protection and development of the marine environment, promotion of port facilities, new markets and pilot projects including partnerships between scientists and industry. Also covered are improving quality, promoting more selective fishing methods and upgrading skills). (Emphasis on marine protection and partnership projects rather than capital works). 
			   Target: to encourage responsible fishing that helps to safeguard the marine environment. 
			
			 4. Sustainable development of fisheries areas Medium priority 
			  (e.g. assistance for the sustainable development of fisheries areas and improvements to the quality of life in such areas. Areas eligible for funding are being selected and have to implement a local strategy which seeks to implement the objectives of the CFP taking particular account of socio-economic effects. Funding can support measures taken to maintain economic and social prosperity, develop jobs, promote the coastal environment and promote co-operation between fisheries areas). (Measures under axis 1-3 are applicable under axis 4 for the selected fishing areas and for Convergence areas will be given a high priority). 
			   Target: employment diversification in fishing areas consistent with regional policy priorities. 
		
	
	These will be finalised in light of responses to the consultation on the draft UK Operational Programme.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK Strategic Plan in relation to the European Fisheries Fund for the period January 2007 to December 2013.

Jonathan R Shaw: The UK National Strategic Plan for Fisheries describes the UK fisheries sector and UK objectives and priorities for fisheries between 2007 and 2013. It covers catching, aquaculture, inland fishing, processing and marketing. The UK has to draft this document to demonstrate to the European Commission that it has clear strategic objectives for managing fisheries and on which to base its priorities under the European Fisheries Fund.
	We are planning to submit the UK National Strategic Plan to the European Commission as soon as possible, pending its finalisation.

Flood Control

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what frequency was assigned to the recent floods in the Thames and Severn catchments on the basis of the existing modelling; what changes have been made to the flood frequency modelling since those events; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency's Midlands and Thames Regions are working to assess the frequency of the flooding at key locations. It is expected that final results will be available in the Midlands Region by mid-December.
	The Environment Agency's initial findings are that the July 2007 flooding at Gloucester had an annual probability of 0.5 per cent. in any one year (1 in 200 year return period).
	The return period (or frequency of flooding) has yet to be calculated for the recent floods on the Thames. However, tributaries of the River Thames such as the River Evenlode, the River Windrush, the River Ock and the River Loddon, experienced the highest recorded river levels. It is too early to determine the impact of these floods on future probability analysis, but they will be fully accounted for in any new river modelling work.

Floods

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of  (a) sea level rise,  (b) storm occurrence and  (c) subsiding land mass on calculations of flood risk.

Phil Woolas: The Government's 2004 Foresight Future Flooding report took a long-term view of national flooding and coastal erosion risks to 2100. It estimated that future climate change, together with increased economic wealth which increases losses, could lead to potentially significant increases in future risk by the end of this century.
	The Government advise the operating authorities to factor climate change effects into the design of present-day river and coastal defences. An allowance should be made for acceleration of sea level rise, as a result of climate change already locked in to the global system, from the current 2.5-4 millimetres (mm) a year to 13-15 mm a year by the end of the century, depending on location. As part of a precautionary approach, this advice also includes predicted land level changes as very gradually the south east of England has been lowering and the north of the country rising since the last ice age. Such guidance for flood and coastal erosion risk management activities has been provided since 1989 and is kept under review (most recently revised in October 2006).
	Sensitivity tests are also recommended for a 20 per cent. increase in the river flows as a result of climate change. Increases in rainfall intensity are also recommended in planning guidance (PPS25) for new urban drainage.
	On storm occurrence, the scenarios to be published by the UK Climate Impacts Programme in 2008 are expected to provide further insight into changes that may occur over the next century and these will be taken into account in future guidance.

Hares: Conservation

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will hold discussions with the Game Conservancy Trust on plans to conserve the mountain hare.

Joan Ruddock: The new list of UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species and Habitats contains 65 habitats and 1,149 species, including the mountain hare. A large number of groups, and in excess of 500 individual experts in total, were involved in the production of this list. It is impossible, therefore, for me to meet with specific conservation groups to discuss individual species. Instead, the UK Biodiversity Partnership as a whole is considering how to take forward the conservation of species and habitats on the new list.

Inland Waterways: Pollution

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1380W, on Inland Waterways: pollution, what records, other than those relating to consented discharges, the Environment Agency keeps of the potential sources of pollution.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency holds a range of information on potential sources of pollution. These include the Pollution Inventory which covers information from approximately 2,000 industrial sites on chemical releases, including those to controlled waters.
	Operator Pollutant Risk Appraisal information is used to assess the environmental risk of Environment Agency regulated sites. The Compliance Classification scheme shows the sites which have failed to comply with permit conditions.

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  for what reasons the  (a) Marine Bill and  (b) Draft Marine Bill was not included in the 2006 Queen's Speech; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether a  (a) Marine Bill and  (b) Draft Marine Bill will be included in the 2007 Queen's Speech; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with  (a) the Prime Minister and  (b) Cabinet colleagues on the inclusion of a (i) Marine Bill and (ii) Draft Marine Bill in the 2007 Queen's Speech; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what priority he has given to the inclusion of a  (a) Marine Bill and  (b) Draft Marine Bill in the 2007 Queen's Speech; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government are firmly focused on meeting their commitment to introduce a comprehensive Marine Bill in this Parliament. Proposals have been developed for a Bill that covers a broad and complex set of marine issues spanning many different interests and which, in some cases, break completely new ground.
	The Government's draft legislative programme states that we are considering publishing a draft Marine Bill in the next session of Parliament—we are working to do this in early 2008. Publishing the Marine Bill in draft will allow us to get the legislation right and lead to a better Bill.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Hilary Benn) has regular discussions on a range of issues with the Prime Minister and Cabinet colleagues.

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on  (a) the issuing of offshore consents and  (b) a Marine Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn) and the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Mr. Hutton) meet regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest, including the Marine Bill. Discussions about offshore consents took place during the preparation of "A Sea of Change: a Marine Bill White Paper".

HOME DEPARTMENT

Trafficked Children

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional resources she plans to make available to those local authorities offering refuge provision and special support to child victims of trafficking uncovered by Pentameter II.

Vernon Coaker: Children rescued within Operation Pentameter will be referred to the local authority which has duties to safeguard all children who are at risk of harm and accommodate those in need. The NSPCC and ECPAT will be on hand to offer specialist advice on the needs of child trafficking victims.

Inward Migration

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her estimate is of the number of  (a) legal and  (b) illegal immigrants arriving in the UK in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The latest information on non-EEA nationals granted leave to enter the United Kingdom relates to 2006 and shows that a total of 12.9 million such persons were granted leave to enter the United Kingdom by immigration officers. The majority of these persons, around 94 per cent. (12.1 million), were either: visitors, both ordinary and business; passengers in transit; or passengers returning after a temporary absence abroad.
	No Government has ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who have entered the country illegally. By its very nature it is impossible to quantify accurately, and that remains the case.

Remembrance Day

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on her negotiations with the Royal British Legion on arrangements for Remembrance Sunday parades in 2007.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office has not had any negotiations with the Royal British Legion on arrangements for Remembrance Sunday Parades in 2007. However I can assure the Royal British Legion of our support should they encounter any obstacles in making arrangements.

People Trafficking

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tackle human trafficking.

Vernon Coaker: We have published the UK Action Plan to tackle Human Trafficking which contains 64 action points as part of the UK's end to end strategy to combat this terrible crime. Strategic oversight of the plan's progress will be discussed at the meeting of the Inter Departmental Ministerial Group of which I am chair and on which the Scottish Executive sit.
	We have also launched the operational phase of Pentameter 2 to tackle those responsible for trafficking people for the purposes of sexual exploitation, and are implementing the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Human Trafficking.

Police Priorities

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to give local communities a greater role in the determination of local policing priorities.

Tony McNulty: Neighbourhood policing already gives local communities a role in determining local policing priorities. In addition, monthly local crime information will be provided to allow people to understand better their local community safety issues, and hold the police to account for the way in which they tackle the communities' local priorities. We have also asked Sir Ronnie Flanagan to look at how we can improve both local involvement and local accountability and he will be reporting on this early in 2008.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department has issued to police forces on the use of antisocial behaviour orders in respect of persons under the age of 18.

Vernon Coaker: Revised comprehensive guidance on antisocial behaviour orders was published in August 2006. This is part of the toolkit we have provided to all antisocial behaviour practitioners in England and Wales to tackle antisocial behaviour. ASBOs are just one of those important tools.

Police Numbers: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on police manning numbers in Bournemouth.

Tony McNulty: At 31 March 2007, there were 315 police officers and 36 police community support officers in Bournemouth. Total staffing levels in Dorset have increased by 35 per cent. since 1997.

Community Policing

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to further develop community policing.

Tony McNulty: We remain committed to Neighbourhood Policing—which is very much a shared endeavour between the police service, local agencies and the community. We have already signalled our intention to put Neighbourhood Policing at the heart of Neighbourhood Management and as part of that we will also consider pooled and participatory budgets.

Fingerprinting: School Pupils

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the use by police of pupils' fingerprint data collected by schools; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: Using the data collected by schools would not meet the investigative needs of the police or the evidential requirements of the criminal justice system.
	Schools are recording only an algorithmic representation of the fingerprint and not the fingerprint itself.
	The algorithmic records held by schools are not compatible with the national automated fingerprint system used by police forces.

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many acceptable behaviour contracts were  (a) made and  (b) breached in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Data on acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) are not collected by the Home Office as they are voluntary agreements and therefore not suitable for central data collection. However, surveys carried out by the Respect Task Force of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) indicated that over 25,000 ABCs have been made since October 2003. The Home Office recently issued updated and comprehensive guidance for practitioners on the use of ABCs.

Airguns: Licensing

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) meetings she has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish Executive and  (b) discussions her Department has had with the Scottish Executive on proposals to (i) introduce restrictions on the use of airguns and (ii) require licensing of all new sales of airguns; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The misuse of air weapons in Scotland was one of a number of issues raised when I met with the Cabinet Secretary on 19 July.
	The Government are determined to tackle the problem of misuse wherever it takes place and have taken action to tighten up the legislative framework. We worked closely with Scottish Ministers to include provisions in the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 which require businesses selling air weapons to register with the police as firearms dealers and to complete sales face-to-face; increase to 18 the age limit for buying and possessing air weapons; and make it an offence for any person to fire an air weapon across the boundary of premises.
	These measures have only recently come into force and should be given time to take effect before further changes in the law are contemplated. We shall continue to work with Scottish Ministers to ensure communities across the country are protected from all aspects of firearms misuse.

Anti-terrorism Control Orders

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many individuals issued with control orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 have had their financial assets frozen;
	(2)  how many individuals have been subject to control orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005;
	(3)  how many individuals issued with control orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 have absconded;
	(4)  what proportion of individuals who have been issued with control orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 are British citizens.

Jacqui Smith: 30 individuals have been subject to control orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. Of these, 11 are British citizens. Seven of the 30 individuals have absconded—including an individual who is now in police custody. One of the 30 individuals has had their assets frozen.

Crime: Homophobia

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made in ensuring that homophobic crimes are dealt with in a sensitive manner.

Vernon Coaker: In March 2005 we worked with the Association of Chief Police Officers to produce a tactical guide for tackling all hate crime including homophobic hate crime.
	In December 2006 we issued further guidance to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Community Safety Partnerships, specifically aimed at helping practitioners tackle hate crime including homophobic hate crime.
	We are currently working to update both of these, which both emphasised the importance of dealing with victims of these crimes in a sensitive manner, and we will be developing further good practice from projects funded through the Victims Fund to tackle hate crime. Through this fund we allocated over 100,000 to projects tackling homophobic hate crime.

Extradition: Russia

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British citizens were extradited to Russia in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office (Meg Hillier), of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1843W.

Firearms: Crime

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to reduce gun crime since June 2007.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 10 September 2007
	The Government have an ongoing programme of work to tackle gun crime, focusing on the themes of:
	Policingensuring the police are equipped to tackle gun crime.
	Powersgiving the police and courts the powers to deal with offenders.
	Preventionempowering communities to work with local agencies to take action to prevent gun crime and gang culture, and offering support to parents to challenge their children's behaviour.
	Nevertheless, there is more that can be done. It was announced on 9 September that the Government, working with the police, other delivery partners and communities, would be taking forward a programme of targeted work in the local areas facing the greatest challenges with respect to gangs and gun crime. The Tackling Gangs Action Programme will focus on neighbourhoods in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. Jon Murphy, of Merseyside Police, has been seconded to head up a special team taking forward this work, which will report to a new cross-Government ministerial task force chaired by the Home Secretary.
	The task force met for the first time on 19 September and committed to take forward a range of action including using the local area agreement framework to highlight work on guns and gangs at local level; improved data sharing; development of diversionary activities through sport, music and arts; improving measures for witnesses. The on-going programme of work is also informed by the Home Secretary's round table on guns, knives and gangs, which has met nine times since 2003, most recently on 26 June. A further meeting is being planned.
	An additional 1 million has been allocated for this work.
	The Government have also asked Ken Jones, President of the Association for Chief Police Officers (ACPO), for a report on the scale and nature of the problem in relation to guns and gangs, and proposals for what more the Government, the police and other agencies can do to improve the situation.

Fixed Penalties

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines she has issued on the use of fixed penalty notices.

Jacqui Smith: My Department issued in April 2006 Revised Guidance on the Operation of the Fixed Penalty System for Offences in Respect of a Vehicle. The document is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/road-traffic.html
	Overall policy in respect of fixed penalty notices is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice (Mr. Straw).

Forensic Telecommunications Services

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the theft of the telephone evidence database from Forensic Telecommunications Services Ltd.;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the potential value to terrorist groups of the stolen telephone evidence database from Forensic Telecommunication Services Ltd.;
	(3)  what discussions officials from her Department have had with Forensic Telecommunication Services Ltd. regarding the security of data processed;
	(4)  when her Department last made an assessment of the security procedures of Forensic Telecommunication Services Ltd.;
	(5)  how much the Government spent on the services of Forensic Telecommunication Services Ltd. in each year for which records are available;
	(6)  which Government Departments and agencies had data compromised during the database robbery from Forensic Telecommunication Services Ltd.; and when were those agencies informed of the theft;
	(7)  whether her Department has communicated with any foreign governments regarding the theft of the telephone evidence database from Forensic Telecommunication Services Ltd.

Tony McNulty: On 7 August, offices belonging to the Forensic Telecommunication Services Ltd. in Kent were burgled and computer equipment was removed. That equipment has since been recovered in a police operation. When recovered, an examination of the server referred to by my right hon. Friend was carried out. That examination indicates that the server was not accessed and that no data was compromised. One individual has been arrested in connection with the burglary and I understand this offence has been considered as part of his sentencing. I have asked the chief constable of Kent to write to my right hon. Friend directly regarding this matter.
	Home Office officials have been kept informed, as a matter of routine, but have had no direct involvement in this incident. Individual Departments and the police make their own arrangements for handling their protectively marked assets according to relevant security manuals and procedures.

Genetics: Databases

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have their DNA details stored on a database.

Meg Hillier: 317,015 under-18s and 132,465 under-16s had a record on the National DNA Database on 30 September 2007.

Homophobia: Prosecutions

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work her Department is undertaking to tackle homophobic crimes.

Vernon Coaker: This Government take all hate crime including homophobic hate crimes very seriously. We have identified five priorities for tackling hate crime:
	Increasing reporting
	Bringing more offences to justice
	Increasing confidence that hate crime will be taken seriously
	Using local and national data to understand better the nature and extent of hate crimes
	Tackling repeat victimisation.
	This June the Government made 250,000 available through the victims fund to tackle hate crime and support victims. Over 100,000 of this money has been awarded to tackling homophobic and transphobic hate crime.
	Since April 2007 we have asked the police to flag homophobic and other hate crimes so we can better understand the nature and extent of homophobic hate crime. The Race for Justice Steering Group works to bring more hate crime offences to justice, including homophobic hate crimes. In December 2006 we produced guidance to community safety practitioners to help them tackle homophobic hate crime.
	We are also planning to amend the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill to provide for offences to tackle the incitement of hatred on grounds of sexual orientation.

Illegal Immigrants: Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals residing illegally in the UK were charged with criminal offences in each year since 2002.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested regarding the immigration status of those arrested or charged with a criminal offence is not collated centrally by the Office of Criminal Justice Reform or the Crown Prosecution Service, and as such this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she plans to answer the letter of 12 July from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Ewmid Hasan Abdulla;
	(2)  when she plans to answer the letter of 6 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mr. E. Abdulla.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 11 October 2007.

Money Laundering

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tackle international money laundering.

Vernon Coaker: The Government have a comprehensive strategy in place to seize criminal assets and to combat money laundering, with over 300 million recovered over the last three years. We will continue to work closely with our European and international partners, and with industry, to provide global solutions to a global problem.

North Yorkshire Police: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on funding for North Yorkshire police in 2008-09.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office will announce a Provisional Finance Settlement on the level of funding for the police for the CSR years, 2008-09 to 2010-11, with the local government finance settlement in late November/early December as in previous years.

Passengers: Terrorism

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passengers have been charged with  (a) terrorist and  (b) other offences following security checks on departing passengers at (i) Heathrow, (ii) Gatwick and (iii) Stansted in each of the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: Information on charges or convictions arising from stops at ports of entry could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Statistics detailing the number of individuals charged under the terrorism legislation are available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Police Community Support Officers

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers there are in each basic command unit.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is published in the Supplementary Tables of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 13/07 Police Service Strength, England and Wales, 31 March 2007. A copy is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1307add_tab.xls

Police: Casualties

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of police officers have been injured in the line of duty in each police force area in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: The numbers of assaults on police officers are available, and are published each year in the Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) Annual Report. The total numbers of assaults have been given. The vast majority of these assaults are categorised as minor and no injury. The HMIC Annual Reports can be downloaded from the following link:
	http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspect_reports1/annual-reports/
	The available data are for 1999-2000 to 2004-05 only, and have been given in the following table. The percentage of police officers injured in the line of duty cannot be accurately determined from the available data.
	
		
			  Assaults( 1)  on police officers 1999-2000 to 2004-05( 2,3) 
			  Force  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Avon and Somerset 405 332 336 366 493 296 
			 Bedfordshire 97 125 94 74 117 106 
			 Cambridgeshire 160 154 118 151 168 149 
			 Cheshire 239 225 219 352 391 339 
			 City of London 44 44 62 43 48 53 
			 Cleveland 13 342 258 59 67 63 
			 Cumbria 103 85 80 120 111 95 
			 Derbyshire 278 232 241 290 230 228 
			 Devon and Cornwall 311 224 256 326 318 333 
			 Dorset 168 132 156 197 131 165 
			 Durham 221 291 304 241 221 136 
			 Dyfed-Powys 89 112 122 134 104 141 
			 Essex 170 210 225 260 375 395 
			 Gloucestershire 143 176 123 149 147 170 
			 Greater Manchester(4) 941 975 874 935  1022 
			 Gwent 205 191 340 181 209 178 
			 Hampshire 385 374 177 502 543 408 
			 Hertfordshire 160 159 169 194 171 185 
			 Humberside 265 244 188 261 196 130 
			 Kent 292 282 363 367 374 399 
			 Lancashire(5) 294 318 296 331 462 521 
			 Leicestershire 218 236 235 212 202 305 
			 Lincolnshire 128 118 167 168 166 198 
			 Merseyside 520 119 147 10 182 165 
			 Metropolitan police(6) 1,391  1,438 1,898 2,349 2,614 
			 Norfolk 294 354 171 226 182 208 
			 Northamptonshire(7) 189 138 136 149 109 98 
			 Northumbria 513 530 538 691 39 240 
			 North Wales 104 106 111 91 96 111 
			 North Yorkshire 104 118 111 125 240 279 
			 Nottinghamshire 422 316 174 392 109 234 
			 South Wales(8) 317 405 893 1,042 704 712 
			 South Yorkshire 198 212 209 164 192 163 
			 Staffordshire 429 207 179 146 119 158 
			 Suffolk 129 127 170 161 185 195 
			 Surrey 140 233 175 223 225 256 
			 Sussex 402 397 284 186 330 416 
			 Thames Valley 142 288 320 316 313 269 
			 Warwickshire 142 151 156 204 250 256 
			 West Mercia 373 264 252 245 227 206 
			 West Midlands(9) 941 1,865 1,097 1,264 1,112 910 
			 West Yorkshire 665 699 1,021 781 856 889 
			 Wiltshire 108 146 112 137 165 124 
			 (1) Data collated on behalf of and published by HMIC. Serious assaults are those for which the charge would be under Sections 18 and 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Other assaults include those with minor or no injury. Recording practices may vary over time and between forces.  (2) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive.  (3 )HMIC did not publish a force breakdown of assaults prior to 1999-2000. HMIC have advised that assaults data will no longer be published in their Annual Report and that the data for 2004-05 is the last series of these data to be published.  (4 )Greater Manchester was not able to provide data in 2003-04.  (5) Lancashire was not able to provide breakdowns of numbers for different assaults in 2003-04 and 2004-05.  (6) Metropolitan police was unable to provide data in 2000-01 and was unable to provide breakdowns of numbers for different assaults from 2001-02 to 2003-04.  (7 )Northamptonshire was not able to separate serious and other assaults from 1999-2000 to 2002-03. (8) South Wales was not able to provide breakdowns of numbers for different assaults in 1999-2000.  (9) West Midlands was not able to provide breakdowns of numbers for different assaults in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Police: East Midlands

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on police force collaboration in the East Midlands.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 11 October 2007
	We welcome the progress being made on collaboration in the East Midlands, the approach being taken by the five constabularies and their police authorities and their commitment to working together. Collaborative working is key to delivering the necessary improvements in protective services and offers opportunities for efficiency gains. I announced in a written ministerial statement on 17 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 13-14WS, that we will be supporting 10 separate initiatives by police forces and authorities, including one in the East Midlands, to demonstrate joint working solutions in a range of protective services. The demonstration site in the East Midlands will build on existing collaborative work and help develop a shared body of knowledge that the police service as a whole will benefit from.

Police: East Midlands

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will meet representatives of the East Midlands Strategic Board to discuss the consultation on the police grant funding formula.

Tony McNulty: I met the chief constables and police authority chairs from the East Midlands on 6 September. We will take account of all written representations received in response to the consultation on police grant formula.

Police: East Midlands

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the East Midlands Strategic Board's submission to the consultation on the police grant funding formula.

Tony McNulty: The consultation period closed on 10 October. We will take account of all representations received in reaching final decisions on the police grant settlement for the CSR years.

Prison Service: Detention Centres

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department plans to transfer establishments from the Immigration Estate to Her Majesty's Prison Service; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: There are no immediate plans to use or transfer any part of the immigration detention estate to prison use.

Prison Service: Detention Centres

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Ministry of Justice on the use of the Immigration Detention Estate for the housing of prisoners; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office and the Ministry of Justice hold regular discussions on a range of estate issues.
	There are no immediate plans to use or transfer any part of the immigration detention estate to prison use.

Prisoners: Genetics

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 498W, on prisoners: genetics, of the 5,400 prisoners identified as not having a profile on the database why no more than 3,722 subsequently had a sample taken.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 12 September 2007
	The report cited in the 16 April 2007,  Official Report column 498W, is from 2003. It used a comparison of prisoner records with the Police National Computer (PNC) and the National DNA Database. As many identity profiles were not exact, it was necessary for methodological reasons to undertake manual checking within individual prisons to confirm matches. Due to the snapshot nature of the study some of the prisoners had been released by the time sampling teams reached the prison in which they had been held.
	There are good reasons for believing that those in prison now are on the DNA database. Police powers to take and retain DNA were extended in 2001 and 2003 so that DNA could be taken from anyone arrested for a recordable offence.
	Since 2000, forces have received funding, first through the DNA Expansion Programme and then through general Police Grant, enabling them to take DNA samples from all eligible individuals. It is now standard procedure to take DNA and fingerprints in the custody suite when someone is arrested.

Stop and Search

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Taunton of 12 June 2007,  Official Report, column 977W, on stop and search, what the equivalent figures for each individual police force area were in each year since the introduction of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 11 October 2007
	Information on stop and searches and resultant arrests under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 from 2001-02 to 2004-05 by police force is given in the following tables. Statistics for 2005-06 will be available in the last quarter of this year.
	
		
			  Searches of vehicles( 1)  and occupants, and pedestrians under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000( 2)  and resultant arrests( 3) , by police force area, England and Wales, 2001-02 to 2004-05 
			   2001-02  2002-03 
			   Total searches  Resultant arrests  Percentage of arrests  Total searches  Resultant arrests  Percentage of arrests 
			 Avon and Somerset   
			 Bedfordshire 8   31 1 3 
			 Cambridgeshire   
			 Cheshire 387 4 1 320 7 2 
			 Cleveland   
			 Cumbria   
			 Derbyshire 20  
			 Devon and Cornwall 129  
			 Dorset   
			 Durham 238  
			 Essex7   
			 Gloucestershire 36   898 3 0 
			 Greater Manchester 36 1 3 509 12 2 
			 Hampshire 12   294 8 3 
			 Hertfordshire 4  
			 Humberside   
			 Kent 257 7 3 141 29 21 
			 Lancashire155   
			 Leicestershire 136   45   
			 Lincolnshire   
			 London, City of 3,495 100 3 4,644 107 2 
			 Merseyside   
			 Metropolitan Police 4,071 74 2 23,441 199  
			 Norfolk 2   5   
			 Northamptonshire   
			 Northumbria   
			 North Yorkshire 8   110   
			 Nottinghamshire   
			 South Yorkshire 263   105 2 2 
			 Staffordshire   
			 Suffolk3   
			 Surrey 2 1 50 67 1 1 
			 Sussex 1,077 2 0 351 3 1 
			 Thames Valley900   
			 Warwickshire   
			 West Mercia 5  
			 West Midlands36 7 19 
			 West Yorkshire18 1 6 
			 Wiltshire   
			 Dyfed Powys   
			 Gwent7   
			 North Wales   
			 South Wales   
			 Total 10,186 189 2 32,087 380 1 
		
	
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05 
			   Total searches  Resultant arrests  Percentage of arrests  Total searches  Resultant arrests  Percentage of arrests 
			 Avon and Somerset   
			 Bedfordshire 6 2 33
			 Cambridgeshire 11 6 55 6 1 17 
			 Cheshire 6   1   
			 Cleveland 3   7   
			 Cumbria   
			 Derbyshire   
			 Devon and Cornwall 42  
			 Dorset 231 5 2 17   
			 Durham   
			 Essex 989 5 1 3,741 20 1 
			 Gloucestershire 1,356 3 0
			 Greater Manchester 858 4 0 1,755 18 1 
			 Hampshire 713 30 4 1,763 33 2 
			 Hertfordshire14   
			 Humberside   
			 Kent 13   195 4 2 
			 Lancashire   
			 Leicestershire 9 2 22
			 Lincolnshire   
			 London, City of 7,276 164 2 6,506 139 2 
			 Merseyside   
			 Metropolitan Police 19,692 244 1 15,621 167 1 
			 Norfolk 8  
			 Northamptonshire   
			 Northumbria381 9 2 
			 North Yorkshire 92   198 2 1 
			 Nottinghamshire   
			 South Yorkshire   
			 Staffordshire   
			 Suffolk 3  
			 Surrey 129 2 2 943 13 1 
			 Sussex 593 3 1 2,648 35 1 
			 Thames Valley 207 7 3 115 5 4 
			 Warwickshire   
			 West Mercia 11   2   
			 West Midlands 155 5 3 1   
			 West Yorkshire 216 2 1 26 2 8 
			 Wiltshire   
			 Dyfed Powys   
			 Gwent   
			 North Wales 3 1 33 1   
			 South Wales 1,200 6 1 1,835 7 0 
			 Total 33,822 491 1 35,776 455 1 
			 (1) Searches may be conducted on vehicles only, occupants only or both may be searched. Where a vehicle and driver occupier are searched simultaneously the search is recorded against the driver (occupant). Any other passengers searched are recorded as occupants. (2 )The Terrorism Act 2000 came into force on 19 February 2001. (3 )Includes arrests under the Terrorism Act, arrest for terrorist related matters and other serious crimes.  Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.  Source:  RDS-OCJR.

Stop and Search

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of persons were stopped and searched under the Terrorism Act 2000  (a) at airports,  (b) on London Underground and  (c) at train stations in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 11 October 2007
	Information on the percentage of those stopped under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and the location of those stops and searches is not available.

Stop and Search

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets the Government have set in relation to stop and search by police officers in England and Wales.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 11 October 2007
	The use of stop and search powers is an operational matter for individual officers based on individual circumstances. Therefore, there are no Government targets on the exercise of these powers by police officers.

Crime: Detection Rates

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the detection rate was in 2006-07 for  (a) theft and handling stolen goods,  (b) fraud and forgery,  (c) criminal damage,  (d) violence against the person,  (e) sexual offences,  (f) robbery and  (g) all violent crime, calculated by the methodology used to calculate the figures presented in Table 7.03 of Crime in England and Wales 2004-05.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is given in the table and relates to all detections for recorded crime. The Home Office now concentrates on publishing detections data in terms of sanction detections rather than all detections. Sanction detections provide a more meaningful comparison of individual force performance and some forces have made a policy decision to significantly limit their use of non-sanction detections in recent years.
	A number of changes have also been made in response to suggestions in the two reviews of crime statistics. One such change is that for police recorded crime there are separate violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery categories but these is no longer a combined total 'violent crime' category.
	
		
			  Recorded crime: Detection rate percentages by offence group, police force area and region 2006-07 
			  Percentage 
			   Theft and handling stolen goods  Fraud and forgery  Criminal damage  Violence against the person  Sexual offence  Robbery 
			 Cleveland 25 41 14 63 44 23 
			 Durham 21 45 16 64 44 30 
			 Northumbria 35 61 21 70 44 31 
			  North East Region 29 54 18 67 44 28 
			
			 Cheshire 21 26 13 52 33 26 
			 Cumbria 28 44 18 64 46 34 
			 Greater Manchester 16 30 12 55 34 19 
			 Lancashire 29 30 20 61 43 39 
			 Merseyside 21 19 11 55 40 20 
			  North West Region 20 28 14 57 38 21 
			
			 Humberside 18 27 13 49 26 19 
			 North Yorkshire 21 49 19 70 44 26 
			 South Yorkshire 21 27 12 54 33 30 
			 West Yorkshire 22 30 16 54 32 28 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 21 30 15 54 32 27 
			
			 Derbyshire 18 33 15 49 29 22 
			 Leicestershire 21 19 15 47 27 25 
			 Lincolnshire 21 35 13 57 30 26 
			 Northamptonshire 20 27 14 60 43 19 
			 Nottinghamshire 14 24 13 54 41 14 
			  East Midlands Region 18 26 14 52 34 19 
			
			 Staffordshire 24 33 18 65 34 25 
			 Warwickshire 18 29 14 58 29 18 
			 West Mercia 26 45 17 65 34 31 
			 West Midlands 19 30 13 47 30 20 
			  West Midlands Region 21 33 15 54 31 21 
			
			 Bedfordshire 15 25 13 51 34 12 
			 Cambridgeshire 17 36 11 55 24 18 
			 Essex 24 28 19 69 36 24 
			 Hertfordshire 20 27 14 57 34 25 
			 Norfolk 23 47 14 56 33 16 
			 Suffolk 19 33 16 65 38 27 
			  Eastern Region 20 31 15 60 33 20 
			
			 London, City of 20 63 32 66 29 20 
			 Metropolitan Police 10 16 12 31 28 14 
			  London Region 11 16 12 31 28 14 
			
			 Hampshire 15 18 10 44 25 27 
			 Kent 20 30 16 49 29 18 
			 Surrey 17 63 15 59 40 32 
			 Sussex 19 37 17 57 30 21 
			 Thames Valley 15 18 15 49 26 20 
			  South East Region 17 29 14 50 28 22 
			
			 Avon and Somerset 17 27 13 42 26 19 
			 Devon and Cornwall 20 39 14 48 28 22 
			 Dorset 19 42 16 57 38 27 
			 Gloucestershire 31 29 17 56 30 30 
			 Wiltshire 18 29 14 55 27 16 
			  South West Region 20 32 14 49 29 21 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys 29 60 25 66 38 43 
			 Gwent 24 27 16 63 37 22 
			 North Wales 36 51 26 82 35 34 
			 South Wales 16 29 13 54 33 27 
			  Wales 22 38 18 65 35 27 
			
			 England and Wales 18 28 15 51 32 18

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding was made available to the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in each year since its establishment.

Malcolm Wicks: The then Department of Trade and Industry provided the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) with 6 million as working capital on its set-up in April 2005.
	3 million was then made available to the CNPA for 2006-07, and a further 3 million for 2007-08, for capital spending. To date, 1 million only of this funding for 2006-08 has been drawn upon. Capital costs will be recovered by the CNPA through depreciation charges. The costs of the CNPA and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary are met by the civil nuclear operating companies to whom policing services are provided.
	Details of the operating costs of the CNPA can be found on the CNPA's website at: www.cnpa.police.uk/funding and within the CNPA's annual report and accounts, also available on the website.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many arrests were made by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007; and how many of these resulted in successful prosecutions.

Malcolm Wicks: In the 2004-05 Crime Year, officers of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) made three arrests, of which one resulted in a successful prosecution and one resulted in a caution being given.
	In the 2005-06 Crime Year, CNC officers made seven arrests, of which four resulted in successful prosecutions and two resulted in cautions being given.
	In the 2006-07 Crime Year, CNC officers made three arrests, of which one resulted in a successful prosecution and one resulted in a caution being given.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent on training for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007; and how much is proposed to be allocated in each of the next five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The costs of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary are met by the civil nuclear operating companies to whom policing services are provided. Training costs for the Constabulary are as follows:
	
		
			
			 2005-06 2,848,000 
			 2006-07 3,083,000 
			 2007-08 (1)3,791,000 
			 2008-09 (2)3,768,000 
			 2009-10 (2)3,601,000 
			 2010-11 (3)3,709,000 
			 2011-12 (3)3,820,000 
			 (1) forecast (2) budget (3 )modelled

Energy Supply

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received from energy suppliers on their programmes of assistance to vulnerable consumers; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Meetings have been held or are to be held with representatives of Centrica, Scottish Power, Npower, Powergen, Scottish and Southern Energy and EDF at both ministerial and official level to discuss their programmes of assistance to vulnerable consumers.

Energy Supply: Rural Areas

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many rural households in England are in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In 2004, 325,000 households in rural areas were in fuel poverty. These households accounted for around a quarter of all households in fuel poverty in that year.

Energy Supply: Disadvantaged

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how he plans to determine whether the corporate social responsibility assistance provided by each energy supplier to help vulnerable consumers is adequate and proportional; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: A range of factors are being taken into account in considering the corporate social responsibility assistance provided by each energy supplier to help vulnerable consumers, drawing on the evidence in Ofgem's review of supplier's voluntary initiatives to help vulnerable customers. Major factors include the level of assistance delivered to vulnerable customers relative to the size of the supplier and the overall price level offered by the supplier.

Energy Supply: Disadvantaged

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has set a deadline for energy companies to put into place the programmes of assistance described at paragraph 2.1.21 of Meeting the Energy ChallengeA White Paper on Energy; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: No deadline for the introduction of programmes of assistance has been set. However, companies will need to indicate a commitment by the end of October 2007 to put in place any further programmes of assistance, so that decisions can be taken as to whether powers should be taken in the Energy Bill in line with the Energy White Paper.

Energy Supply: Disadvantaged

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which consumer groups will be targeted by the winter 2007-08 cross-Government communications campaign on energy-related assistance for vulnerable and low-income households.

Malcolm Wicks: The campaign is directed towards older, vulnerable and at-risk people to help eliminate fuel poverty and promote independence and well-being, by ensuring that those needing help are aware of, and take advantage of, the advice and financial support available to help keep them and their homes warm.

Energy: Meters

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the Government's policy is on introducing smart meters for gas and electricity in the domestic sector; over what time scale meters are expected to be introduced; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are currently consulting on proposals on metering and billing set out in the Energy White Paper, including smart meters. The Paper included an expectation that smart meters would be universally rolled out within 10 years, and the current consultation aims to gather stakeholder views on how this objective might best be delivered. The Government will develop their approach on smart metering in the light of information from the consultation and other work being undertaken by the Government, Ofgem, energy suppliers and interested bodies.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what environmental criteria are taken into account before the Export Credits Guarantee Department offers guarantees for projects to commence.

Malcolm Wicks: ECGD undertakes a review of all projects in accordance with its Case Impact Analysis Process, which is available on its website. The environmental impact analysis of each case will vary depending on the nature, scale and location of the project.
	It is ECGD's policy that projects should comply in all material respects with the relevant safeguard policies, directives and environmental guidelines of the World Bank Group.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many approved independent and environment consultants the Export Credit Guarantee Department uses when assessing the environmental impact of a project; how these consultants are selected; and what safeguards are in place to ensure their assessments are impartial.

Malcolm Wicks: ECGD has contracts with two environmental consultancy organisations to provide review and advice services on a call-off basis. The contracts were procured through an open competition in line with EU procurement rules. Each contract provides that the consultancy will perform its tasks with all due skill, care and diligence, while informing ECGD of any conflicts of interest.
	On projects where ECGD is part of a lender group, an independent environmental consultant may be employed. The usual role is to review on behalf of the lender group the environmental information provided by the project sponsor. Typically, the lender group will agree the terms of reference for the appointment of the independent environmental consultant with the project sponsor, together with a short list of companies to be invited to tender for the appointment. It will review the tender proposals received and will attend tender interviews. The project sponsor will then appoint the independent environmental consultant taking into account the recommendations of the lender group. The appointed independent environmental consultant undertakes the work on the instructions of the lender group, and its terms of engagement will provide an express duty of care to each member of the lender group.

First Solution Money Transfer

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what action the Insolvency Service has taken to investigate the circumstances in which individuals have lost money as a result of their use of First Solution Money Transfer services; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: In the light of the financial difficulties and apparent closure of First Solution Money Transfer Ltd. in June 2007 Companies Investigation Branch ('CIB') of the Insolvency Service appointed investigators to examine the facts of the case. This investigation is continuing. CIB investigations are confidential and do not result in a publishable report. However, CIB can use the information in a number of ways, for example, to seek to disqualify any directors shown to be unfit to run limited companies or to pass information to a criminal prosecutor or other regulator for action as necessary. It can also petition the court to wind up the company compulsorily and such a petition was presented to the High Court on 2 August. The court has fixed 7 November 2007 to hear that petition. In the meantime the official receiver has been appointed provisional liquidator to preserve and protect remaining assets.

Fuel Poverty

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2068W, on fuel poverty, what definition his Department uses of a proportional programme of assistance; what methodology is used by his Department to measure proportionality; and which of the major six energy companies offer a proportional programme of assistance.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 10 October 2007
	A range of factors are being taken into account in considering the corporate social responsibility assistance provided by each energy supplier to help vulnerable consumers, drawing on the evidence in Ofgem's review of supplier's voluntary initiatives to help vulnerable customers. Major factors include the level of assistance delivered to vulnerable customers relative to the size of the supplier and the overall price level offered by the supplier. A supplier is said to be offering a proportionate programme of assistance if it is offering a level of assistance under these measures around or above the industry average at the time of publication of the White Paper. We are currently analysing the findings of the Ofgem update report on Ofgem's review of Suppliers' voluntary initiatives to help vulnerable customers published on 8 October to determine which of the major six energy companies offer a proportional programme of assistance.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what date Ministers were informed of a separate claims handling agreement between the then Department of Trade and Industry and Vendside in relation to vibration white finger.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 11 October 2007
	The then Minister responsible was briefed on the development of the CHA between the former Department of Trade and Industry and Vendside with respect to vibration white finger in December 1998 and prior to the agreement being signed off.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what date Ministers were informed of a separate claims handling agreement between the then Department of Trade and Industry and the Union of Democratic Mineworkers for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 11 October 2007
	 The then Minister responsible was briefed on the development of a claims handling agreement between the former Department of Trade and Industry and the Union of Democratic Mineworkers with respect to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in November 1999 and prior to the agreement being signed off.

Industrial Diseases: Solicitors

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what criteria were used in determining solicitors' fees for coal health claims in the  (a) CSGthe Claimants Solicitors Groupand  (b) UDM Vendside agreements.

Malcolm Wicks: Solicitors' fees were negotiated as part of the original Claims Handling Agreement between the Department and the group representing claimants' solicitors. These are court based schemes and the Department was obliged to negotiate all elements including solicitors' involvement and associated costs. At the time, it was felt that the fees reflected fairly the cost of the provision of legal advice to claimants.
	The Department negotiated a reduction of legal costs of 16.66 per cent. for claims represented by UDM/Vendside, compared to the group representing claimants' solicitors.

Iran: Overseas Investment

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether his Department is advising UK businesses not to invest in Iranian oil and gas-related projects; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: UK Trade and Investment advice makes clear to British companies the considerable commercial and political risks associated with investment in Iran, including the implications of existing and potential future sanctions. However, investment decisions within the current legal boundaries remain a commercial decision for individual companies.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding has not yet been committed under phase one of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: From a budget of 36 million for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 there remains 16,492,729 uncommitted.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been committed under phase one of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme  (a) in total and  (b) in each region in each month since the scheme began; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: As at 30 September, a total of 19,507,271 had been committed under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1. This includes amounts for grant offers, management fees and funds used by the Clear Skies and Solar PV Major Demonstration Programmes to smooth the transition between these programmes and the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.
	Further details have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Nuclear Power: Reviews

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many responses were received to the Government's nuclear policy consultation document  (a) on-line and  (b) in hard copy submissions; what communications his Department has received from non-governmental groups that formally withdrew from the consultation; and what requests were received from interested parties for the release of support documentation for the consultation.

Malcolm Wicks: The total number of  (a) online responses received to the Government's nuclear policy consultation document recorded on 11 October was 2,144.  (b) The total number of hard copy submissions recorded on this date was 623.
	Detailed breakdown on communications received from non-governmental groups that formally withdrew from the consultation, and requests received from interested parties for the release of support documentation, is currently not available.
	The majority of the responses to the consultation have been made online, but we will take into account any responses that have been delayed for a variety of reasons.

Offshore Industry

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he plans to maintain responsibility for the granting of offshore oil and gas consents under the Petroleum Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Yes. As the North sea continues to mature it remains a key Government objective to ensure that economic recovery of UK hydrocarbon resources is maximised. The current regulatory regime, which has been refined over the years to encourage exploration and development and attract investment, is ensuring that industry is in the best position to realise the full potential of the UK's oil and gas reserves.

Post Offices: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what date he plans to announce the future of Post Office branches in Greater London; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: On 17 May my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the Government's response to public consultation on the Post Office network. Now that the Government have announced their decisions it is for Post Office Ltd. to strategically develop the network through around 50 local area implementation plans over the next 15 months.
	According to the timetable set out by Post Office Ltd., which is publicly available on its website, the local consultation on the Greater London implementation plan is scheduled to begin in April 2008. Final decisions on closures will be taken by POL in light of responses to the consultation.

Postal Services: Strikes

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will take steps to encourage a settlement in the postal dispute that takes into account postal workers' views of changes to working practices and pensions.

Patrick McFadden: The Secretary of State and I continue to encourage both the Royal Mail and the CWUCommunication Workers Unionto resolve the current dispute through talks. We have done so at a number of meetings and will continue to do so.

Postal Services: Strikes

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what meetings he has had with representatives of  (a) Royal Mail Ltd. and  (b) the Communication Workers Union at which the resolution of the postal strike has been discussed.

Patrick McFadden: The Secretary of State and I have had a number of meetings with Adam Crozier and Allan Leighton and Bill Hayes and Dave Ward to discuss the postal dispute and other matters.

Regional Development Agencies: Public Appointments

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what criteria are used to appoint individuals to the boards of regional development agencies (RDAs); and how many appointments in each RDA are  (a) trade union appointments and  (b) party political appointments.

Stephen Timms: A detailed specification is drawn up for each role on the Regional Development Agency Boards. These specifications are subject to public consultation with national and regional stakeholders and subsequently set out in the adverts for the posts. Applicants are asked to complete an application form detailing their competencies against the requirements set out in the specification.
	Each region has one trade union board member.
	There are no party political appointments.

Renewable Energy

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been committed for the installation of  (a) wind turbines,  (b) wood fuelled boiler systems,  (c) solar thermal hot water,  (d) solar photovoltaics,  (e) small hydro projects,  (f) heat pumps,  (g) ground source heat pumps and  (h) biomass room heaters and stores under phase one of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (i) in total and (ii) in each region to date in each month since the scheme began; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Renewable Energy

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the projection is of the percentage of energy in the UK which will be produced from renewables by 2020.

Malcolm Wicks: DTI projections in May 2007 indicated that by 2020, on the basis of existing policies, renewables would contribute around 5 per cent. of the UK's energy consumption. However once a decision has been reached on each member state's contribution to the EU's target of 20 per cent. renewable energy by 2020, we will bring forward the appropriate measures, beyond those set out in the Energy White Paper, to make our contribution.

Renewable Energy

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to meet the EU target of 20 per cent. of energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020.

Malcolm Wicks: As set out in the Energy White Paper, once a decision has been reached on each member state's contribution to the EU's target of 20 per cent. renewable energy by 2020, we will bring forward the appropriate measures to make our contribution. In the meantime, the measures and market framework set out in the Energy White Paper allow us to make significant progress on this important agenda.

Renewable Energy: EU Law

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will establish a 2020 Renewables Taskforce to assist in meeting the UK element of the EU renewables directive; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 10 September 2007
	I do not believe it necessary to set up a new 2020 Renewables Taskforce as the Renewables Advisory Board (RAB) is an existing NDPB set up by government specifically to advise on these issues. RAB exists to improve Government understanding of the obstacles and opportunities for the development and deployment of renewable technologies in the UK and make specific recommendations for this purpose. It is already providing valuable assistance to us in our consideration of the EU 2020 renewable energy target, including by setting up a specific sub-group to advise on the EU 2020 target.

Renewable Energy: Rural Areas

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to help rural households to overcome planning issues to implement alternative sources of energy, including microgeneration, and to become more energy efficient.

Malcolm Wicks: The Microgeneration Strategy, published in March 2006 commits to tackling the barriers currently preventing widespread uptake of microgeneration, including issues around planning. With regard to planning issues, the Government have consulted on proposals to help householders install microgeneration technologies without the need to apply for planning permission and responses to the consultation are currently being considered. We have also recently published an energy measures report for local authorities compiling information they can use to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their communities.

Research Council: Finance

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 2042-43W, on the Research Council: finance, what restructuring of British Energy was involved; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: As part of the restructuring of British Energy (BE) in January 2005, the Government took on responsibility for the company's historic spent fuel liabilities for the period up to the restructuring. The total cost of these liabilities was estimated in the Department's 2006-07 accounts as 2.4 billion, and is based on the forecast payment schedule up to 2029 which is set out in the waste processing contracts agreed between BE, BNFL and the Department.
	Payments since 2004-05 have been approximately 200 million per annum, and future payments are estimated to be 200 million (undiscounted at March 2007 prices) per annum until 2013-14. Amounts are then expected to fall each year thereafter until 2029.

Royal Mail: Pensions

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his Department has had with representatives of Royal Mail Ltd. on the proposed changes to the pensions scheme for Royal Mail staff.

Patrick McFadden: Royal Mail has developed its proposals on the reform of its pension scheme following discussions with the workforces' representatives. My department received a briefing on the final proposals from Royal Mail but has not been involved in their formulation.

Royal Mail: Pensions

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to the pensions scheme on Royal Mail staff.

Patrick McFadden: I have not carried out an assessment of the impact of the proposed changes to the pension scheme on Royal Mail employees. Royal Mail's proposals document sets out how the changes would affect staff.

Royal Mail: Pensions

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his policy is on the pensions holiday taken by Royal Mail Ltd. between 1995 and 2002.

Patrick McFadden: During the period 1995-2002, the pension fund was in surplus. In 2001, the fund was some 105 per cent. funded. The current deficit arose because of market changes, revised assumptions in life expectancy and the new accounting standards, which required pensions to be reported on company balance sheets. Royal Mail is now addressing the deficit through additional contributions to the fund.

Severn Barrage: Environment Impact Assessment

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the proposed feasibility study for a Severn Barrage energy scheme will include a full environmental impact assessment.

Malcolm Wicks: The feasibility study will include detailed analysis of the environmental impacts of a barrage including mitigation and compensation aspects and compliance with the relevant legislation.
	A full environmental impact assessment would need to be carried out by the developer as part of the planning process.

Union of Democratic Mineworkers

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) phone calls and  (b) meetings took place between (i) Ministers and (ii) civil servants and (A) the Union of Democratic Mineworkers and (B) Vendside in (1) 1998, (2) 1999, (3) 2000 and (4) 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not keep records of the number of phone calls between the Department and the Union of Democratic Mineworkers or Vendside. Officials have had formal business meetings with UDM/Vendside but we do not have comprehensive records of these, and an accurate number is not, therefore, available. I should also add that similar business meetings have also taken place with the Claimants' Solicitors Group. There is no record of any Minister having met the UDM or Vendside.

Union of Democratic Mineworkers

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many records there are of  (a) gifts and  (b) hospitality received by civil servants from his Department and its predecessors from solicitors acting for (i) the Union of Democratic Mineworkers and (ii) Vendside in cases concerning miners' industrial diseases in (A) 1998, (B) 1999, (C) 2000 and (D) 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department keeps records of gifts and hospitality received but no records match these criteria.

Utilities: Fees and Charges

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what measures he is taking to prevent energy companies demanding payments arising from not recalibrating token meters and subsequently seeking backdated payments;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the energy regulator on energy suppliers who charge backdated payments after delays in the recalibration of token prepayment meters; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what measures he plans to take to assist households who have received backdated payment requests by energy suppliers who have not recalibrated token prepayment meters; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including matters related to prepayment meters, and I have no plans to meet with the energy suppliers on this issue. I welcome Ofgem's commitment to working with suppliers to improve their performance in recalibrating and replacing certain prepayment meters. My Department continues to monitor progress. Ofgem has provided regular updates on suppliers' progress, with the latest published in a letter of 9 August from its Director of Governance. This letter, which included details of the progress on customer communication made by Scottish Power, Powergen and npower, is available from Ofgem's website at:
	www.ofgem.gov.uk

TREASURY

Children: Poverty

Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  pursuant to his Pre-Budget and Comprehensive Spending Review Statement on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 167, when he expects the Government's target of a 50 per cent. reduction in child poverty to be attained;
	(2)  on the Pre-Budget and Comprehensive Spending Review on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 167, how many children will be lifted out of poverty in each of the years between 2008 to 2010 according to the measure proposed in his statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Government remain fully committed to their ambition of halving child poverty by 2010-11 on the way to eradicating child poverty by 2020.
	Building on Budget 2007 announcements that will lift 200,000 children out of poverty by 2010-11, the pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review announced additional financial support for low income families with children, including an increase in the child element of child tax credit by 50 a year above earnings indexation by April 2010, and substantial increases in disregards for child maintenance in income-related benefits. Together these measures will lift around 100,000 additional children out of poverty by 2010-11.

Coinage

Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether all the coins in use in the United Kingdom are manufactured in the UK.

Kitty Ussher: All legal tender United Kingdom circulating coins are manufactured in the UK by the Royal Mint.

Departments: ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) laptops,  (b) mobile telephones and  (c) personal digital assistant devices bought for the use of departmental Ministers have been returned to the Department following each Cabinet reshuffle since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: In the last Parliament, all laptops, mobile telephones and personal digital assistant devices bought for the use of departmental Ministers that are no longer in use by them, have been returned to or purchased from the Department. Information prior to this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HM Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the target time is for responses to be made to correspondence sent to HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC aims to deal with 80 per cent. of general correspondence within 15 working days of receipt and 95 per cent. within 40 working days.

Inheritance Tax: East Midlands

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of estates that would pay inheritance tax at a threshold of 1 million in  (a) the East Midlands,  (b) Nottinghamshire and  (c) each parliamentary constituency in Nottinghamshire;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of estates paid inheritance tax in  (a) the East Midlands,  (b) Nottinghamshire and  (c) each parliamentary constituency in Nottinghamshire in the last year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Figures for estates paying inheritance tax and amounts of tax paid are not available at local levels.

Inheritance Tax: High Peak

Tom Levitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in High Peak paid inheritance tax in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Figures for estates paying inheritance tax and amounts of tax paid are not available at local levels.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will require the Chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise to reply to the letter to him of 29 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Ms K. Cassidy.

Jane Kennedy: The chairman of HMRC replied to the right hon. Member on 5 October 2007.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter of 12 July (PO Ref: 1/50946/2007) from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire.

Jane Kennedy: I replied to the hon. Member on 10 October 2007.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Economic Secretary will respond to the letter of 8 August from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire (PO REF: 5/02368/2007).

Jane Kennedy: I have done so.

Office of Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research: Finance

Phil Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the combined budget allocation is for the Office of Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research for each financial year from 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Andy Burnham: The combined budget allocation for the Office of Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research (OSCHR) will be 1,465.8 million in 2008-09, 1,567.9 million in 2009-10 and 1,674 million in 2010-11.

Public Expenditure

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much public expenditure there is per capita in 2007-08 for residents of  (a) Scotland and  (b) England; and what estimate he has made of what the equivalent figures will be once the Comprehensive Spending Review decisions take effect.

Andy Burnham: The latest available figures for total identifiable public spending per head are published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. In 2006-07 spending per head was 7,121 in England and 8,623 in Scotland. Later figures will be published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses next spring.

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letters to HM Revenue and Customs (Tax Credits) from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 12 June, 9 July, 13 August and 4 September on behalf of Mr R. White (Ref: 2007/0600 2871) of Writtle, Chelmsford.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I made to Parliament on 25 July 2007 about the administrative issue which affects some older tax credits awards. HM Revenue and Customs wrote to inform all affected customers about this issue, including the hon. Member's constituent, around the end of August 2007.

Revenue and Customs: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when HM Revenue and Customs expects to vacate its tax office premises at Regent House, Darlington.

Jane Kennedy: Decisions on the future of HMRC offices in the Middlesborough/Stockton urban centre, which includes Regent House in Darlington, are expected to be announced this week. Once an announcement is made HMRC will work with its strategic property partner to agree plans for vacation and release of any offices that will close.

Revenue and Customs: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether  (a) HM Revenue and Customs and  (b) Mapeley have had made available to them a lease break in respect of Regent House, Darlington.

Jane Kennedy: The current lease for Regent house, Darlington expires in 2012. However, as part of a wider town centre redevelopment, planning permission for alternative use has been granted. Mapeley are consequently in discussions with the landlord regarding lease surrender terms. Any proposed vacation of the building will be dependent on the successful outcome of negotiations and subject to decisions regarding HMRC's restructured needs.

Revenue and Customs: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when HM Revenue and Customs plans to announce decisions about the future of Darlington tax office.

Jane Kennedy: Decisions on the future of HMRC offices in the Middlesbrough/Stockton urban centre, which includes Regent House in Darlington, are expected to be announced this week.

Stamp Duties

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of stamp duty on  (a) the London Stock Exchange's competitiveness and  (b) the value of equities; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The Government keep all taxes and their effects on markets under constant review. However, it is difficult to accurately isolate the effects of stamp duty on either the London Stock Exchange or equity values given the number of other factors influencing it.
	The continued long-term growth in both the number of trades completed on the London Stock Exchange and the number of new companies listed highlights that the City of London continues to be a leading global centre for financial services.

Stamp Duties

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of stamp duty on the housing market; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The Government keep all taxes and their effects on markets under constant review. However, it is difficult to accurately isolate the effects of stamp duty land tax on the housing market given the number of other factors influencing it.
	Since 1997 the stability and prosperity of the UK economy has allowed nearly two million more people to become homeowners. Last year in England, 185,000 net additional homes were added to the housing stock, the highest level since 1990.

Surveys: Costs

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the marginal cost of  (a) asking one additional question to all responders and  (b) computerising the additional data for (i) the British Household Panel Survey, (ii) the Expenditure and Food Survey and (iii) the Labour Force Survey.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 October 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking what estimate has been made of the marginal cost of (a) asking one additional question to all responders and (b) computerising the additional data for (i) the British household panel survey, (ii) the expenditure and food survey and (iii) the labour force survey. (156903).
	I am unable to answer for the British household panel survey, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, and managed by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at Essex University. Contact details for the Institute for Social and Economic Research are available on their website at http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/.
	For the ONS expenditure and food survey and labour force survey, the cost of questions can vary quite substantially and it is not possible to provide an average cost or the cost of computerising the additional data. In some cases answers to questions can be derived from other existing questions and in such cases there will only be a small extra cost for computerising the additional data. However, in other cases the cost of adding a new question and computerising the additional data depends on the complexity of the question. New questions may need to be extensively research tested in the field which will lead to much greater costs.

Tax Credit Office: Correspondence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Tax Credit Office will respond to the letters of 26 March and 28 June 2007 from the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire to the Director.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC have written to the hon. Member on 12 October and very much regret the delay in doing so.

Welfare Tax Credits: Armed Forces

Alan Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of the armed services are in receipt of tax credits.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of tax credit claimants broken down by occupation is not available.

Welfare Tax Credits: Foreigners

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many children of foreign nationals who are living outside the UK are in receipt of tax credits; and how many received tax credits in each of the last five years, broken down by country;
	(2)  how many children of foreign nationals who are living outside the UK are in receipt of child benefit; and how many were in each of the last five years, broken down by country.

Jane Kennedy: This information is not available. For child benefit, the information could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Welfare Tax Credits: Northern Ireland

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases in Northern Ireland are affected by administrative error in HM Revenue and Customs' Tax Credit Office; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Following my written ministerial statement of 25 July 07, on tax credits administration, HMRC will be reviewing approximately 8,400 awards for claimants in Northern Ireland.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many awards of tax credits were adjusted in-year due to excess payments in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07; whether excess payments are included in the annual supplement on payments figures; what the average value was of the excess payment; what the total amount recovered in-year was; and how many and what proportion of these cases were disputed.

Jane Kennedy: The aggregate value of overpayments, the number and the distribution of overpaid awards are published annually in 'Supplement on Payments' publications. Figures for 2003-04 to 2005-06, which can be used for calculating the average value of an overpayment in each year, are published on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	Information on the level of overpaid tax credit awards in 2006-07 will not be available until May 2008.
	For information on the number of overpaid awards that have been disputed I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 415-16W, and on 7 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 1036-37W.
	Information relating to the recovery of overpayments of 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 awards is contained in section 2, table 4, of the Comptroller and Auditor Generals Standard Report in the HM Revenue and Customs 2006-07 accounts, which is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-accounts2007.htm
	Information on recovery of overpaid tax credits in 2006-07 will be published in the HM Revenue and Customs 2007-08 accounts, which is due to be released in the summer of 2008.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Young people: Unemployment

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of  (a) 16,  (b) 17,  (c) 18,  (d) 16 to 18 and  (e) 19 to 24 year olds of each social class were not in education, employment or training in each (i) local education authority area, (ii) region, (iii) borough and (iv) parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department's estimates of the number and proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) cannot be disaggregated by region or local authority level. However, we can give an indication of the number and proportion of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds NEET in 2005 and 2006 at local authority level using data provided by Connexions services, and this is in the tables attached. Information cannot be broken down by parliamentary constituency, nor is it available at local authority level before 2005. Equivalent information is not collected for 19 to 24-year-olds.
	Data provided by Connexions services are used to monitor NEET in each local authority area. However, it should be noted that figures are calculated on a different basis from that used in the Department's estimates, and therefore do not give the same totals.
	The Youth Cohort Study can provide an estimate the proportion of young people who are NEET according to their parents' occupation. The following table shows the findings of the 2005 survey of 17-year-olds, and relates to young people in England and Wales:
	
		
			  Parental occupation  Percentage of 17-year-olds NEET 
			 Higher professional 3 
			 Lower professional 5 
			 Intermediate 7 
			 Lower supervisory 9 
			 Routine 12 
			 Other/unclassified 14 
			 Overall 8

PRIME MINISTER

10 Downing Street: Official Hospitality

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  which  (a) hon. Members,  (b) former hon. Members and  (c) Peers who are not members of the Labour Party he has invited to Downing Street since becoming Prime Minister;
	(2)  if he will publish a list of all those he has invited to Downing Street since becoming Prime Minister.

Gordon Brown: Information on official and charity receptions held at Downing street will be published in the usual way following the end of the financial year.

Departments: Manpower

Chris Grayling: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many full-time members of staff are employed in Number 10 Downing Street;
	(2)  how many people are employed in the Prime Minister's Policy Unit;
	(3)  how many people are employed in the Prime Minister's Strategic Communications Office;

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister how many press officers are employed by his Office.

Gordon Brown: The total number of staff on the No. 10 payroll as at 1 April 2007 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   1 April 2007 
			 Prime Minister's Office 215 
			 No10 Policy Unit 9 
			 No10 Strategic Communications Unit 6 
			 No 10 Press Officers (1)6 
			 (1) This figure includes one secondee from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 
		
	
	Figures for 2007-08 will be published after the end of the financial year.

General Election: Costs

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Prime Minister what contingency preparations were made by No. 10 Downing Street for the possibility of a general election being held in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations.

Gordon Brown: holding answer 11 October 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office today.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister what factors he took into account in deciding when to inform the Secretary of State for Defence of his decision to announce troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Gordon Brown: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to reply to the letter of 2 August 2007, on fighting poverty, from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire.

Gordon Brown: My Office replied to the hon. Member on 8 August.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister on what date he last met Tony Blair.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

ChangeUp Hubs of Expertise

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what the legal status is of the ChangeUp Hubs of Expertise and of any intellectual property or other assets associated with the hubs;
	(2)  for what reasons the decision was taken to abolish the ChangeUp Hubs of Expertise; and what input the Office of the Third Sector had in the decision.

Phil Hope: Six partnerships of national voluntary organisations make up the ChangeUp hubs of expertise. The hubs are partnerships of organisations rather than organisations constituted in their own right, and as such do not have a legal status.
	Each of the six hubs has an accountable body that receives and administers funds on the hubs behalf. All of the hubs have protocols setting out governance, legal and financial arrangements between the accountable body and their partnership organisations.
	As grant recipients the accountable bodies for the hubs have agreed to terms and conditions for their grant(s) which are governed by English law and the jurisdictions of English courts and include specific conditions relating to intellectual property rights and assets.
	Shortly after being set up Capacitybuilders' Board committed itself to a programme of change in the future delivery of national support services (hubs). The board decided to undertake the review following stakeholder feedback on hub performance. The review addressed what local, sub-regional and regional third sector organisations need from a national set of services and what is the best way of delivering on these needs.
	Following consultation with the sector Capacitybuilders board have agreed that Capacitybuilders will directly commission the national support programme and identified a range of priority themes.
	Capacitybuilders have been established at arms length from the Government, and as such the decision regarding the future delivery of national support services is a decision for Capacitybuilders board. However, the Office of the third sector's interest is in ensuring that the appropriate mechanisms are in place to deliver the ChangeUP 2014 vision, and that capacity building of the third sector is handled in an effective manner.

Civil Service Appeal Board

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many cases were taken to the Civil Service Appeal Board in 2006; and how many of those related to  (a) dismissals and  (b) other disciplinary matters.

Gillian Merron: The remit of the board does not extend to appeals in relation to disciplinary matters which fall short of dismissal.
	Statistics on the number of appeals heard in each of the last 10 years can be found in Appendix 3 of each of the board's annual reports. Copies can be found on the board's website at www.civilserviceappealboard.gov.uk.

Civil Service Commission

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the declared individual political affiliations are of the Civil Service Commissioners.

Gillian Merron: The Civil Service Commissioners are an independent body. They undertake their role in accordance with their Code of Practice, which includes provisions for handling conflicts of interest. The Code of Practice can be accessed via the Commissioner's website at www.civilservicecommissioners.gov.uk Copies are also available in the Libraries of the House.

Civil Service: Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will amend the Directory of Civil Service Guidance to reflect the new Civil Service code in respect of the requirements of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Gillian Merron: We are in the process of updating the Directory of Civil Service Guidance. The new version will reflect the provisions in the new Civil Service Code.

Departments: Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to improve his Department's arrangements on whistleblowing; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the current policy.

Edward Miliband: We are reviewing our Whistleblowing policy and will look to adopt good practice from other Departments. Once the policy has been reviewed we will place a copy in the Library.

Departments: Official Hospitality

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many receptions have been held by the Cabinet Office since January 2007; on what dates they were held and at which venues; what the purpose was of each; who  (a) hosted and  (b) paid for each; what the estimated attendance was of each; and what each cost his Office.

Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 2W.

Departments: Publicity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department's projected spending is on advertising and promotional campaigns for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09, broken down by cost relating to (i) television, (ii) radio and (iii) print media.

Gillian Merron: The only Cabinet Office campaign currently planned for 2007-08 is to encourage more and better quality nominations of 'local heroes' for official honours. The choice of media for this campaign has not yet been finalised.
	My Department has not yet agreed budgets for any communication activity in 2008-09.

General Elections: Costs

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contingency preparations his Office made for the possibility of a general election being held in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations.

Edward Miliband: holding answer 11 October 2007
	The guidance covering the conduct of official business during a general election was last issued in May 2005. This guidance, and other relevant procedures and processes, are kept under constant review by the Cabinet Office and other relevant departments so that they are ready to be put in place when a general election is called.

Leader of the Opposition: Civil Servants

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what Civil Service support is available to the Leader of the Opposition.

Gillian Merron: The Directory of Civil Service Guidance sets out the circumstances in which there may be contacts between senior civil servants and members of the Opposition parties. Copies of the Directory are available in the Libraries of the House.

Non-Profit Making Associations

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what budget has been allocated to the commissioning of social enterprise think pieces as announced by the Office of the Third Sector on 8 February.

Phil Hope: The budget allocated for think pieces in 2007-08 is 50,000.
	More information is available at
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/social_enterprise_research/think_pieces.asp

Olympic Games: Greater London

Janet Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether the Red Arrows will be appearing at the 2012 London Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what plans there are to include the Red Arrows in the opening or closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: Newspaper claims that the Government have banned or advised against the Red Arrows' involvement in the Opening Ceremony or any other celebrations associated with the 2012 games are completely untrue and unfounded.
	The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for deciding what to include in the Opening Ceremony and other celebrations. No decisions have yet been taken about the content. The Red Arrows have already played a memorable role in the celebrations, when they flew over Trafalgar Square to mark London winning the games.

Voluntary Work

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what definition his Department uses of a volunteering opportunity for the purposes of its policy to promote volunteering.

Phil Hope: For the purposes of volunteering policies the Cabinet Office defines volunteering and volunteering opportunities as any non-compulsory activity which involves spending time, unpaid, doing something which is of benefit to others (excluding relatives), society or the environment.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Archaeology

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) adults and  (b) children came to events organised with the Portable Antiquities Scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) adults and  (b) children came to events organised with the portable antiquities scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Of the people who attended events organised by the Portable Antiquities Scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007,  (a) 4,193 were adults; and  (b) 3,040 were children. This highlights the excellent work the PAS does in educating people about archaeology.

Archaeology

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many finds were  (a) identified and  (b) recorded by the portable antiquities scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many finds were  (a) identified and  (b) recorded by the portable antiquities scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: During National Archaeology Week 2007, the portable antiquities scheme  (a) identified 2,331 finds; and  (b) recorded 659 finds. This highlights the excellent role the scheme is playing in helping us learn more about our past.

Broadcasting Programmes: Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his assessment is of the contribution of public service children's television programmes to children's development of knowledge and understanding of themselves and their environment; and if he will make a statement on future investment in UK commissioning and production of such programmes.

James Purnell: UK originated children's television programming is a much valued and important part of the UK's broadcasting environment.
	The Government recognise that there are challenges to the ability of commercial public service broadcasters to sustain this type of programming. Ofcom issued a discussion paper on 3 October and the responses received will inform Phase 1 of their Public Service Broadcasting Review, which will be published in spring 2008, and the Government's consideration of the future funding of public service provision.

Bus Services: Concessions

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the 2008 Concessionary Fare National Scheme on tourism in the UK.

Margaret Hodge: DCMS has made no assessment of the impact of the national bus concessions scheme on tourism.

Casinos

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the written statement of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1-3WS, on casinos, what progress has been made with the review of the introduction of small, large and regional casinos.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The work that the Secretary of State announced in his written statement of 16 July 2007,  Official  Report, columns 1-3WS, is now well under way, and the intention is to make a further announcement later this year.

Casinos: Milton Keynes

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether a process is available for Milton Keynes to open a casino; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Milton Keynes is one of the local authorities earmarked by the Government for one of the eight large casino licences permitted by the Gambling Act 2005, following the recommendation of the independent Casino Advisory Panel.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in a written statement on 16 July 2007,  Official  Report, columns 1-3WS, that he had written to the local authorities, including Milton Keynes, to put forward for the new casinos, to ask them to confirm whether they still wish to license a new casino.
	A further announcement will be made once Ministers have had the opportunity to consider the responses of the local authorities.

Creative Partnerships: Finance

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what changes to the funding of creative partnerships will occur as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

James Purnell: Although the Department's overall CSR settlement was announced on 9 October we are still finalising detailed allocations to NDPBs and programmes such as Creative Partnerships.
	I therefore regret that I am not yet in a position to go into detail about either the programmes' future shape or funding.

Departments: Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what accounts directions were issued by his Department in financial years  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Margaret Hodge: Under the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000 HM Treasury issue accounts directions to Departments, pension schemes and agencies and under the Government Trading Fund Act 1973 to trading funds.
	For the years 2005-06 and 2006-07 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has issued accounts directions for the form and content of resource and other accounts to the following sponsored bodies:
	 2005-06
	Historic Royal Palaces
	 2006-07
	Big Lottery Fund
	Horserace Betting Levy Board
	Olympic Delivery Authority
	Olympic Lottery Distributor
	Olympic Legacy Trust
	The Regional Cultural Consortiums
	Royal Household
	For S4C the Accounts Direction has not changed but a Memorandum of Understanding including the existing accounts direction was issued in May 2007.

Departments: Public Bodies

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list his Department's  (a) executive agencies,  (b) executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs),  (c) advisory NDPBs,  (d) tribunal NDPBs,  (e) trading funds and  (f) public corporations for each financial year since 2005-06.

Margaret Hodge: Details of the public bodies for which DCMS was responsible in the financial year 2005-06 can be found in the Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies 2006, copies of which are in the Library and also available online at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/publications/pdf/public-bodies/publicbodies2006.pdf
	For the financial year 2006-07 the details can be found in the DCMS publication DCMS Public Bodies Directory 2007, copies of this publication are also available from the Library and online at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4BEE00DC-62FF-4F5C-8012-E3B82B915112/0/DCMSPublicBodiesDirectory20072.pdf

Departments: Publicity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's projected spending is on advertising and promotional campaigns for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09, broken down by cost relating to (i) television, (ii) radio and (iii) print media.

Margaret Hodge: The Department's projected spending on advertising and promotional campaigns for 2007-08 and 2008-09 with the areas specified is zero.

Digital Broadcasting: Celtic Languages

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to ensure spectrum allocation for  (a) Gaelic and  (b) Welsh language service on digital terrestrial television after the digital switchover.

James Purnell: The BBC announced earlier this year its intention to launch a Gaelic language channelthe Gaelic Digital Service (GDS)on digital terrestrial television in Scotland, to be run as a partnership between BBC Scotland and Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gaidhlig (Gaelic Media Service). A public value test into this proposed service is currently ongoing.
	A Welsh language serviceS4Cis already provided on digital terrestrial television in Wales, and multiplex capacity will be available for S4C to continue to provide that service.
	At present, therefore, it is intended that both Gaelic and Welsh language services will be provided on digital terrestrial television after digital switchover.

Horse Racing: Drugs

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) decision to revoke the accreditation of the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory in Newmarket as a WADA-accredited laboratory; and what assessment he has made of and the implications of this decision for drug-testing in the UK.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In light of discussions with UK Sport, the UK's National Anti-Doping Organisation, the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory (HFL) had its World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accreditation revoked in September.
	The development of UK Sport's intelligence-based testing programme, the aim of which is to use intelligence to target drug tests more effectively, means that UK Sport is unlikely to significantly increase the number of tests it conducts year on year. As a result, UK Sport could not guarantee the number of tests HFL required to make its accreditation status financially viable.
	Kings College, the remaining WADA accredited laboratory in the UK, will undertake analysis of all UK Sport's anti-doping programme tests.
	UK Sport advises that this is an approach endorsed by WADA, and will have no adverse implications for drug-testing in the UK.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to reply to the letter of 16 August (departmental reference 76546) from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A reply to this letter was sent on 8 October 2007.

Museums and Galleries: Finance

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was awarded to national museums and galleries in each year since 1995-96 in constant 2007-08 prices.

Margaret Hodge: Grant in aid for the 14 national museums since 1995-96 in constant 2007-08 prices is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Grant in Aid  ( million) 
			 1995-96 285.66 
			 1996-97 269.90 
			 1997-98 254.03 
			 1998-99 245.53 
			 1999-2000 259.17 
			 2000-01 263.88 
			 2001-02 276.24 
			 2002-03 293.20 
			 2003-04 297.07 
			 2004-05 292.67 
			 2005-06 299.07 
			 2006-07 313.65 
			 2007-08 323.55

National Film Theatre

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 30 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1594W, on the National Film Theatre, if he will make a statement about future plans for the library of the British Film Institute.

Margaret Hodge: The British Film Institute (BFI) is in advanced discussions with the Higher Education sector to achieve a long term strategic partnership that would provide much needed new investment and improved access to the BFI's world leading collections, including the Library, as a significant research resource.
	Such a partnership would also enable the BFI to develop international scholarship, training and teaching programmes which fully utilise the Nation's film and TV collections.
	In the longer term, it is intended that the partnership would continue by establishing a centre of research excellence within a National Film Centre being proposed by the BFI for 2012-13.

Sports: Safeguarding of Vulnerable People Act 2006

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the effect of the Safeguarding of Vulnerable People Act 2006 on sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups (SVG) Act 2006 will help safeguard children and vulnerable adults participating in sport by introducing a strengthened vetting regime for those working in this area, and barring those who are unsuitable.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families, Department of Health and the Home Office have been working with a wide range of stakeholders including sports bodies and organisations and will continue working with the Department for Culture Media and Sport and sports bodies to help inform Regulations and prepare for implementation of the SVG Act. The Government are planning to consult later in the year on a number of detailed elements of the scheme.

Sports: Schools

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if his Department will revise the Child Protection in Sport guidance to ensure more structured risk in school sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The NSPCC's Child Protection in Sport Unit and Sport England have developed Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children with the National Governing Bodies. These standards positively promote the adoption of safe practice that minimises the risk to young people participating in sport including school sport.

Stonehenge

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans there are to improve tourism, parking and traffic facilities at Stonehenge.

Margaret Hodge: A new Stonehenge Visitor Centre, allowing for improved tourist facilities, was granted planning consent on 29 March 2007, subject to conditions, one of which is that improvements to the A303 proceed, as set out in the published Stonehenge Improvement Order 2000.
	The Government are currently considering the findings of the inter-Departmental Review of Options for the A303 Stonehenge Improvement and will make an announcement shortly on the way forward.

Television: Scots Gaelic Language

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on which  (a) channels and  (b) broadcasting platforms the Gaelic language television channel will be available; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: holding answer 18 July 2007
	The Gaelic Media Service is working with the BBC with the aim of establishing a high-quality Gaelic Digital Service which is capable of meeting the needs and expectations of the Gaelic audience in the most cost-effective way possible.
	The expectation is that the GDS would be launched on satellite and digital cable. The aim would be to make it available on digital terrestrial after the completion of digital switchover. Prior to digital switchover the new service would be showcased in the limited slot available for TeleG.

Tourism: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds have been allocated by HM Treasury to his Department to promote British tourism; and how these funds have been affected by the pre-Budget report.

James Purnell: My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced the overall DCMS settlement on 9 October. The funding allocation for tourism will be announced shortly, following discussion with VisitBritain.

Tourism: Manpower

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many economists in his Department work specifically on tourism.

Margaret Hodge: We have a small central team of four economists who provide support for the department as a whole including tourism policy. It is difficult to estimate precisely how much time is spent specifically on tourism policy but officials estimate that it is less than one full time member of staff.

VisitBritain: Offices

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the locations of overseas offices of Visit Britain.

Margaret Hodge: VisitBritain currently operates 19 offices in the following countries: BrazilSao Paulo, CanadaToronto, USNew York and Los Angeles, AustraliaSydney, Hong Kong, IndiaDelhi, JapanTokyo, Singapore, UAEDubai, BelgiumBrussels, DenmarkCopenhagen, FranceParis, GermanyBerlin, HungaryBudapest, ItalyMilan, NetherlandsAmsterdam, SpainMadrid and Sweden.
	VisitBritain have representatives in the following countries: ChinaBeijing and Shanghai, IndiaMumbai and Bangalore, MalaysiaKuala Lumpur, South KoreaSeoul, ThailandBangkok, South AfricaJohannesburg, GreeceAthens, NorwayOslo, PortugalLisbon and RussiaMoscow.
	They have a virtual presence in the following countries where there is a localised website and they undertake activities and campaigns which are managed from/by the countries listed in brackets: Argentina and Mexico (managed from Brazil); New Zealand (managed from Australia); Austria (managed from Germany); Czech Republic (managed from Hungary); Finland (managed from Sweden); Poland (managed from Hungary); Switzerland (managed from Germany).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Drugs

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to persuade the United States of America to reverse its policy of spraying the poppy crop in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Counter narcotics policy and implementation, including opium poppy elimination, is the responsibility of the Government of Afghanistan. We work very closely with the US to support the Afghan government on implementing their National Drug Control Strategy. The Government of Afghanistan opposes the use of aerial and ground based spraying to eradicate opium poppy.
	The US government advocate spraying as one method of implementing non-negotiated forced eradication. But in their counter narcotics strategy for Afghanistan, published in August, they recognise that
	no herbicidal spray program would be implemented without the consent of the Government of Afghanistan.
	The UK continues to support the piloting of ground-based spraying, subject to the agreement of the Afghan government, to test its efficacy and impact. It should be well explained to local populations and targeted in areas of Afghanistan where the security situation permits and there is good access to legal livelihoods for farmers. At present, we judge that the disadvantages of aerial spraying outweigh the benefits. We have made our position clear to both the Afghan government and the US.

Afghanistan: Resettlement

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-8WS, on Iraq: assistance to locally employed staff, whether he has considered extending the scheme to Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: Locally engaged Afghan staff working for our armed forces and civilian missions in Afghanistan have made an invaluable contribution to the UK's efforts to help support the spread of security, stability and development in their country. I acknowledge their contribution with gratitude. But given the difference in circumstances between them and their colleagues in Iraq, there are no plans for a similar scheme of assistance.

Bolivia: Official Visits

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role his Department played in the visit to the UK of Bolivian opposition Senator Oscar Oritz Anselo; which elements of Mr. Anselo's programme have been organised by his Department; what future meetings are planned between his Department and Bolivian opposition leaders; what steps he is taking to develop relations with the democratically-elected President and government of Bolivia; and how many visits his Department has facilitated to the UK on the part of Bolivian government representatives since May 2006.

Kim Howells: Through our Embassy in La Paz, Senator Oscar Ortiz asked the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to make parliamentarians, and others with an interest in Bolivia, aware of his visit to the UK. We responded to this request and also informed the Bolivian Embassy in London.
	Since May 2006 the FCO has not facilitated any visits to the UK on behalf of the Bolivian government. However, Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca made a private visit to the UK in June 2007. The FCO was informed of this visit shortly beforehand and responded to a request to arrange a call on my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Sport (Mr. Richard Caborn).
	Our relationship with Bolivia continues to develop. We maintain a dialogue with the Bolivian Government and also welcome engagement with all political parties in Bolivia. The UK works with the Bolivian government, both bilaterally and through the EU, on a range of issues, including counter-narcotics, climate change, security sector reform and energy. The UK also supports projects in these and other areas in Bolivia, at national and local government level.

British Overseas Territories

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what oversight his Department has of the granting of belongers status, or other comparable status, by overseas territory governments to people from outside the territories; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Responsibility for immigration, including the granting of Belonger, or equivalent, status, has been devolved to overseas territories governments. The Government would not seek to intervene in the immigration policy of a territory unless it breached constitutional or other legal provisions or international obligations such as those in the European Convention on Human Rights, or it was leading to serious concerns about the good governance of the territory.

British Overseas Territories: Internet

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the reasons for variations in the web content of the websites of overseas territories on  (a) the list of Human Rights Conventions with which they are expected to comply and  (b) details of the gross domestic product per head of population.

Meg Munn: The Overseas Territories Governments are responsible for the material on their websites and for keeping it up to date. This includes the provision of information on human rights conventions and of data such as gross domestic product per capita.

Chechnya: Politics and Government

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Chechnya.

Jim Murphy: The North Caucasus, particularly Chechnya, remains fragile and vulnerable to human rights abuses.
	Although some reconstruction work is now being undertaken, much of the Chechen Republic's urban and rural infrastructure was destroyed in fighting between separatist rebels and federal troops allied with local forces loyal to Moscow. While large-scale military action by federal troops has now ceased, low intensity fighting involving local Chechen forces continues. There are frequent reports of explosions and shootings in the republic and elsewhere in Southern Russia carried out by rebel groups.
	Russian forces claim to have eliminated many rebel groups and fighters, including the death of Shamil Basayev in 2006. But long-term security in the region is undermined by poor social and economic conditions as well as credible reports of widespread human rights violations by all sides.
	Instability within Chechnya has affected neighbouring republics, particularly Ingushetia and Dagestan, where the frequency of violent incidents has increased in recent years. The situation in Chechnya and the wider North Caucasus remains an issue of importance in our on-going bilateral and EU discussions with Russia. With EU partners, we raised the latest developments in Chechnya with the Russian Government at the EU-Russia Human Rights Consultations on 3 October 2007.

Chechnya: Politics and Government

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from Russia on co-operation with United Kingdom authorities to address the conflict in Chechnya; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government, with EU partners, regularly discusses the situation in Chechnya with the Russian authorities, including in the context of both UK-Russia and EU-Russia Human Rights Consultations. I welcome the recent commencement of the 20 million technical assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States Programme, agreed under the UK's EU presidency in 2005, which demonstrates that Russia and the international community are willing to work together to address the root causes of instability which drive conflict in the region. Through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, we are working with local partners in the region, among other things, to build capacity and conflict awareness among local officials, police and other law enforcement bodies, as well as to help train Russian prison officers.

David Manning: Gifts

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all gifts made by former UK Ambassador to the United States Sir David Manning to members of the US Administration which were financed by the UK Exchequer; what the cost was of each gift; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The information requested by my hon. Friend is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many new  (a) laptops,  (b) mobile telephones and  (c) personal digital assistant devices his Department bought for the use of departmental Ministers following each Cabinet reshuffle since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: This information is not held centrally, as Foreign and Commonwealth Office departments are responsible for their own budgets. To collate the information requested by the hon. Member would incur disproportionate cost.

Departments: Legalisation Office

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of retaining a Legalisation Office of his Department in central London and opening a second Legalisation Office outside London to deal with postal and DX applications for legalisation.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Legalisation Office needs to move from its current premises in the Old Admiralty Building because of security concerns, lack of space as the business expands, and the FCO's commitment to move positions out of London under the Lyons relocation programme. The additional space for an expanded operation will allow us to improve significantly the current levels of service.
	We explored options outside central London, notably Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Bristol, to allow for the much needed expansion of the office, an improved office environment and a readily available employment pool, while at the same time addressing security concerns and our Lyons relocation commitments.
	Our initial assessment pointed to moving the entire operation outside London. FCO officials met with a group of representatives from a cross-section of the Legalisation Office's customers in the FCO on 3 July. Following this initial meeting and subsequent discussions with the Confederation of British Industry and our key stakeholders, we received strong representations for a continued presence in London.
	We have now completed our consultation exercise and will be shortly announcing our decision on the future location of the Legalisation Office.

Departments: Parliamentary Questions

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of  (a) written guidance and instructions provided to officials in his Department who draft parliamentary answers and  (b) the declaration required to be made by such officials on submitting drafts for ministerial approval; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The information requested by my hon. Friend will be placed in the Library of the House. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are not required to sign a declaration on submitting draft answers for ministerial approval.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's  (a) administrative expenditure,  (b) other current expenditure,  (c) grant expenditure,  (d) operating appropriations in aid (A in A),  (e) capital and  (f) non-operating A in A outturn, broken down in (i) near cash and (ii) non-cash terms, was for financial years 2001-02 to 2006-07.

Jim Murphy: The Part II: Subhead detail table in Main Estimates for each year provide outturn data for one prior year, but this is only broken down to net total resources for each section in the table.
	There are no other published documents that provide a near-cash/non-cash breakdown of this data, though the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) publication (copies of which are in the Library of the House) provides a useful near-cash/non-cash Departmental Expenditure Limit split (see Tables 1.6, 1.7 and 2.1 of PESA 2007 for data for years 2001-02 to 2007-08). However, we have been able to provide a near-cash/non-cash split against administrative expenditure, other current expenditure, grant expenditure, operating appropriations in aid (A in A), capital and non-operating A in A outturn, broken down in near cash and non-cash terms, for financial years 2001-02 to 2006-07 by taking information from our 2006-07 Resource Accounts along with data that underlies our Departmental Report common core tables. This is set out as follows:
	
		
			  Voted expenditure( 1) 
			  000 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Admin   
			 Near-cash 555,613 558,153 599,134 636,571 643,857 697,714 
			 Non-cash(2) 105,924 145,329 107,053 108,970 170,832 173,664 
			
			 Other current 551,973 637,936 650,864 678,795 769,687 846,834 
			
			 Grants 327,125 324,866 376,561 504,656 548,358 545,723 
			
			 Operating A in A -165,693 -172,016 -204,322 -244,630 -327,235 -338,417 
			
			 Capital 95,565 113,428 76,696 85,341 94,490 162,178 
			
			 Non-operating A in A -40,898 -17,257 -26,875 -11,674 0 -57,256 
			 (1) Data for 2001-02 to 2005-06 is taken from information underlying our Departmental Report common core tables and is on an internally consistent basis. Data for 2006-07 is taken from Resource Accounts. Resource Accounts and Parliamentary Supply Estimates do not completely reflect Treasury re-classifications to previous years. Detailed notes on re-classifications have been provided in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Reports for the years in question. (2) All non-cash for the above years has been counted as administrative expenditure. 
		
	
	Data taken from Supply Estimates or resource accounts is not necessarily readily compatible with a near-cash/non-cash split, which is used only within the Departmental Expenditure Limit budgetary controls applied by HM Treasury. The ability of Departments to provide such a split will depend partly on the extent of reconciliations between voted provision and budgetary limits.

Departments: Publicity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's projected spending is on advertising and promotional campaigns for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09, broken down by cost relating to (i) television, (ii) radio and (iii) print media.

Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is unable to provide the forecast expenditure details on advertising and promotional campaigns for the next two financial years, as the information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Temporary Accommodation

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2004W, on departments: temporary accommodation, for how long the British Embassy Officer has been living in a tent in Juba, Sudan; and for what reason secure permanent accommodation has not been available for this officer hitherto.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 8 October 2007
	The officer has been living in a tent on the secure compound of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Juba since November 2005. Permanent accommodation that meets Government security requirements has not been available. Local infrastructure is poor due to the impact of the prolonged civil war there. Many other Juba-based international staff are similarly accommodated. As the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Meg Munn), noted in her answers to the hon. Member on 10 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 2004-05W, and  Official Report, column 2008W, our Embassy in Khartoum is pursuing options to upgrade the officer's accommodation and aims to have a solution in place by early 2008.

Egypt: Religious Freedom

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Egyptian Government in relation to the protection of Eman Muhammad el-Sayed.

Kim Howells: Eman Muhammed el-Sayed is a 26-year-old Egyptian woman, who converted from Islam to Christianity. We understand that she was arrested by the Egyptian police in July 2007 but released shortly afterwards.
	We are aware of the case, but have seen nothing to suggest that Eman is currently in danger and are therefore not planning any representations at this stage.

EU Countries: Overseas Workers

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the number of UK citizens working in each of the other EU countries.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 8 October 2007
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold this information centrally. The hon. Member may wish to refer to Brits Abroad, an independent report from the Institute for Public Policy Research, sponsored by the FCO, which considers the question of British emigration in the context of global migration trends. A copy of this report will be sent to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

EU Reform: Treaties

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice the Government has requested regarding the inter-governmental conference mandate.

Jim Murphy: The Government received legal advice on all aspects of the mandate for an EU Reform Treaty. As I made clear in my evidence session with the House of Lords Select Committee on 12 July, the Government do not disclose their legal advice, as has been the case with previous Governments for all previous inter-governmental conference processes.

EU Reform: Treaties

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the Government's decision on whether a referendum should be held on the Constitutional Treaty, or whether that Treaty should be rejected, is dependent upon the Government's judgment that the Treaty incorporates the red lines requested by the Government.

Jim Murphy: The draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe is now defunct. The Inter-Governmental Conference Mandate records the agreement of all 27 member states that
	the constitutional concept, which consisted in repealing all existing Treaties and replacing them by a single text called 'Constitution', is abandoned.
	The new Reform Treaty is significantly different to the old Constitution. And we have secured extra safeguards on each of the UK's red lines set out by the Government ahead of the June European Council.
	Following my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's oral evidence session with the Foreign Affairs Committee on 10 October, he agreed to write to the Committee and place in the Library of the House a document setting out how the Government's red lines are reflected in the latest draft of the Reform Treaty.

EU Reform: Treaties

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his response of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 151, on the Constitutional Treaty, to the Supplementary Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) if he will clarify which legal draft he referred to; what the status is of the Opinion of the European Commission (COM(207) 412 final) in that regard; which parts of the draft to which he referred differ from the draft document on which the European Scrutiny Committee has already reported; what the evidential basis is for his statement that the new draft makes clear the direction in which Europe is moving and respects the red lines which the Government has requested; and to what extent that evidential basis is derived from the changes incorporated into the new document.

Jim Murphy: The legal draft that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary referred to on 9 October during Foreign and Commonwealth Office oral questions was the draft Reform Treaty in English, including Protocols, Declarations and Preamble (references CIG 1/1/07 REV, 1 CIG 2/1/07 REV 1, CIG 3/1/07 REV 1, CIG 4/1/07 REV 1). These were sent to the Clerks of the Foreign Affairs Committee, European Scrutiny Committee, Lords EU Select Committee and placed in the Libraries of both Houses on Friday 5 October.
	The European Scrutiny Committee has reported on the Inter-Governmental Conference. The Government will provide a full response to all points raised in the Committee's report.
	Following my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's oral evidence session with the Foreign Affairs Committee on 10 October, he agreed to write to the Committee and place in the Library of the House a document setting out how the Government's red lines are reflected in the latest draft of the Reform Treaty.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the number of Turkish troops deployed on the border with Iraq.

David Miliband: We have no confirmed reports of the exact number of Turkish troops deployed along the Turkish border with northern Iraq. We are aware of counter-terrorist operations by the Turkish security forces close to Turkey's border with northern Iraq. A series of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) attacks have targeted military and civilian targets in Turkey recently, causing a significant number of fatalities. We utterly condemn the attacks carried out by the PKK, as we do all acts of terrorism. The PKK, its aliases and its subgroups have been proscribed in the UK and listed as terrorist organisations in the EU.

Iraq: Resettlement

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-28W, on Iraq: assistance to locally employed staff, whether the scheme will apply to  (a) non-Iraqi nationals who work, or have worked, for UK armed forces and civilian missions in Iraq since 2003 and  (b) staff who work, or have worked, for UK armed forces and civilian missions in Iraq who have been injured as a result of, or in the course of their service regardless of whether they meet the other criteria.

Kim Howells: I respect and value the brave and selfless service of all our staff, including those from third countries. But their circumstances are qualitatively different from those of our Iraqi local staff. We have no plans to extend the assistance scheme to those not covered by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's written ministerial statement on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-28WS.

Official Hospitality: Lancaster House

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost of  (a) hospitality and  (b) entertainment at Lancaster House was in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Murphy: Government Hospitality (GH), part of Protocol Directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, manages all official hospitality or entertainment offered by Government Ministers at Lancaster House. GH has a remit to work for all Government Departments, and organises events in government houses, official residences and outside venues. GH organises on average 60-65 per cent. of its events each year at Lancaster House. GH does not maintain separate records of expenditure per venue. In each of the last 10 years GH's overall expenditure has been as follows:
	
		
			   Amount () 
			 1997-98 342,131 
			 1998-99 407,399 
			 1999-2000 406,486 
			 2000-01 489,994 
			 2001-02 552,924 
			 2002-03 623,892 
			 2003-04 705,384 
			 2004-05 869,418 
			 2005-06 809,529 
			 2006-07 592,592

Palestinians: Politics and Government

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek assurances from the Hamas leadership in Gaza that there will be no restrictions on the activity of Christian groups.

Kim Howells: We remain concerned about the safety of Gaza's Christian community. We call upon Hamas to uphold their commitment to preserve the status of that community. But we have no contact with Hamas at present, due to their failure to respect the Quartet's three principles: non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap.
	We condemn the recent killing of Rami Ayyad, the manager of a Christian bookshop in Gaza. Our thoughts are with Mr Ayyad's family.

Poland: Homosexuality

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Polish government's stance towards homosexuality, with particular reference to the status of gay teachers and professors in the Polish education system and the proposed education bill; what representations he has made to his Polish counterparts on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Polish Education Ministry's proposed plans to introduce a law banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools were never put to the Polish parliament. The proposal was heavily criticised in the liberal media and by gay rights groups in Poland.

Quebec: Anniversaries

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans for the UK  (a) to take part in and  (b) be represented at next year's 400 year celebrations in Quebec; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Officials are in contact with the Governments of Canada and Quebec about the 400(th) anniversary celebrations. UK participation/involvement is under discussion.

Uganda: Politics and Government

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of reports that Ugandan Government ministers and members of parliament recently  (a) wore military uniforms and  (b) carried out military drills during their annual retreat at the Kyankwanzi ideological training school; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We are aware of the above mentioned reports but cannot confirm their accuracy. We know that the Kyankwanzi National Leadership Institute remains in use and is responsible for preparing senior government officials.

Uganda: Politics and Government

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the Ugandan government's treatment of opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye and the extent of its surveillance of Dr. Besigye; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations he has made to the Ugandan authorities on the trial for treason of the opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye; what his policy is on whether this trial will affect relations with the Ugandan government at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in November; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We continue to monitor closely the People's Redemption Army trial, in which Dr. Besigye is a defendant, and are pushing for a swift and fair conclusion of the legal process. We regularly raise this issue with senior members of the Ugandan government, through the local Heads of Mission Partners for Democracy and Good Governance Group in Kampala. In the course of our regular dialogue with the government of Uganda, we continue to press them, including at senior political level, on the need to engage with the opposition and develop further multi-party democracy.
	The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November will be a chance for the Ugandan government to demonstrate the progress they are making on good governance to a watching world. We continue to urge the Ugandan government to make the best use of this opportunity.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Alarm Notification Orders

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have instituted alarm notification orders.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA does not keep records of which local authorities (LAs) have instituted alarm notification areas. It is up to the LA to decide if it will designate an area as an alarm notification order. It is not compulsory to inform DEFRA.

Council Housing: Home Information Packs

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will require all social housing to have energy performance certificates; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires member states to introduce Energy Performance Certificates on construction, sale or rent of all buildings, including social housing by January 2009. The Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2007 (SI 991) implement these requirements in England and Wales.

Council Tax

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average  (a) Band D council tax bill and  (b) overall council tax bill was in (i) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall, (ii) the South West and (iii) England in each year since 1979.

John Healey: Details of the average area band D council tax bill and the council tax requirement in each billing authority area in Cornwall, the South West and England in each year since 1993-94, when council tax was introduced, are shown in the following tables. It is not possible to show the data by parliamentary constituency.
	
		
			  Average area band D council tax 
			   
			   Caradon  Carrick  Kerrier  North Cornwall  Penwith  Restormel  South West  England 
			 1993-94 557 574 573 547 552 549 555 568 
			 1994-95 577 596 542 576 576 578 582 580 
			 1995-96 581 601 579 588 592 584 601 609 
			 1996-97 608 629 617 617 614 600 625 646 
			 1997-98 644 653 657 659 642 626 667 688 
			 1998-99 703 712 715 718 696 698 731 747 
			 1999-2000 745 756 757 759 738 740 782 798 
			 2000-01 817 829 825 833 805 808 836 847 
			 2001-02 861 872 880 874 848 848 886 901 
			 2002-03 941 952 957 958 921 925 978 976 
			 2003-04 1,058 1,055 1,065 1,068 1,030 1,028 1,113 1,102 
			 2004-05 1,135 1,136 1,144 1,144 1,101 1,104 1,186 1,167 
			 2005-06 1,192 1,193 1,200 1,201 1,152 1,159 1,236 1,214 
			 2006-07 1,252 1,253 1,257 1,259 1,207 1,216 1,294 1,268 
			 2007-08 1,315 1,314 1,316 1,322 1,263 1,276 1,352 1,321 
		
	
	
		
			  Council tax requirement 
			  000 
			   Caradon  Carrick  Kerrier  North Cornwall  Penwith  Restormel  South West  England 
			 1993-94 14,787 17,407 16,006 14,247 11,494 15,451 899,528 8,912,000 
			 1994-95 15,439 18,122 15,290 15,412 12,181 16,143 955,902 9,239,065 
			 1995-96 15,745 18,287 16,386 15,685 12,597 16,484 986,072 9,769,057 
			 1996-97 16,597 19,314 17,478 16,560 13,181 17,191 1,044,486 10,459,848 
			 1997-98 17,693 20,090 18,676 17,826 13,896 18,123 874,215 11,241,185 
			 1998-99 19,502 22,234 20,689 19,634 15,433 20,651 1,249,363 12,332,055 
			 1999-2000 20,766 23,969 22,168 21,167 16,641 22,137 1,353,435 13,278,188 
			 2000-01 22,918 26,342 24,445 23,417 18,175 24,503 1,462,371 14,199,535 
			 2001-02 24,454 28,088 26,287 24,916 19,212 26,071 1,564,988 15,245,215 
			 2002-03 26,914 30,845 28,844 27,836 21,171 28,930 1,744,900 16,647,512 
			 2003-04 30,681 34,390 32,641 31,643 24,052 32,692 2,004,385 18,946,271 
			 2004-05 34,284 38,293 36,398 35,705 27,062 36,114 2,123,397 20,298,940 
			 2005-06 36,293 40,736 38,239 38,291 28,377 38,493 2,239,105 21,315,284 
			 2006-07 38,370 43,219 40,346 40,443 29,845 40,880 2,365,570 22,452,813 
			 2007-08 40,628 45,926 42,472 42,812 31,504 43,814 2,487,078 23,608,428 
		
	
	The data are taken from the BR1 and 2 returns completed annually by local authorities and returned to Communities and Local Government; early data are taken from the CIPFA publication, Finance and General Statistics.

Council Tax Benefits

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to respond to the recommendations in the Communities and Local Government Committee Report on council tax benefits (HC 718); and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government's formal response to the Select Committee's report on council tax benefit will be published shortly.

Council Tax Benefits: Armed Forces

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will amend the regulations on mandatory council tax discounts to give the spouses or partners of members of the armed forces a single person discount while their partner is away on active service overseas.

John Healey: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 25 September 2007 that armed forces personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan who pay council tax, will receive a flat-rate, tax free payment of 140 for a six month tour of duty. The payment is worth around 25 per cent. of the average council tax bill for six months.
	The Ministry of Defence intends to widen the scheme to all those deployed on operations and we will continue to liaise with the Ministry of Defence on the feasibility, in the longer term, of a statutory discount scheme.

Departments: Visits Abroad

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the foreign trips which  (a) she and  (b) each other Minister in her Department has undertaken at cost to the public purse since the creation of her Department; and what the (i) destination and (ii) purpose was of each visit.

Iain Wright: The Government publish on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2006-07 has been published and a nil return was entered for Communities and Local Government.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

First Time Buyers: West Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many first-time buyers there were in  (a) the West Midlands,  (b) Birmingham and  (c) Birmingham, Northfield in the last year for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Data on numbers of first time buyers (FTBs) using a mortgage is available from the regulated mortgage survey which is supplied to Communities and Local Government by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. However, as the survey is a sample, data on the number of FTBs is unavailable.

First Time Buyers: West Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average price was for  (a) a house and  (b) a house bought by a first-time buyer in (i) the West Midlands, (ii) Birmingham and (iii) Birmingham, Northfield in the last year for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The mean property price for a property and the mix-adjusted mean price for a property bought by a first-time buyer in the West Midlands and Birmingham are as follows.
	
		
			  Mean property price 2006 
			   
			   All buyers  First time buyers 
			 West Midlands Region 168,854 128,832 
			 Birmingham 155,424  
			  Sources:  HM Land Registry, Regulated Mortgage Survey. 
		
	
	Data on house prices is available from HM Land Registry. Data is unavailable below district level.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today (PQ 157713).

Home Information Packs

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on the marketing and advertising campaign to promote home information packs and energy performance certificates in the South West Government Office Region; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: By the end of September 2007 the Department will have spent in the order of 169,800 on the publicity and advertising campaign promoting home information packs and energy performance certificates in the south west of England.

Home Information Packs

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many home condition reports have been uploaded to the home condition report database.

Yvette Cooper: Between 6 November 2006 and 16 September 2007, 1,574 home condition reports have been lodged in the home condition report register.

Home Information Packs

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government why energy performance certificates will be valid for 10 years for properties for rent but not for properties for sale.

Yvette Cooper: We will shortly consult on the appropriate age for an energy performance certificate (EPC).
	Homeowners want up-to-date information on what is likely to be one of the most important purchases of their lives. Once they move in they are more likely than tenants to invest in the property especially in the first year after buying. So it is important that they have recent information at their disposal which is why we are proposing EPCs on properties for sale are no more than one year old.
	For tenants the EPC plays a different role. Renters are less likely to invest in the property they live in. That is why the current proposal is for the maximum life of an EPC for rented properties to be 10 years.

Home Information Packs

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she expects home information packs to cost more for  (a) four bedroom homes and  (b) three bedroom homes than the figures stated previously for an average pack.

Yvette Cooper: The price of a home information pack is be set by the market, not by Government. A number of home information pack providers are charging a standard rate for all properties regardless of size and location.
	The only new cost to the home buying and selling process is the EPC which is providing valuable energy information for the first time and many local authorities have reduced their search charges.

Home Information Packs: Enforcement

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding has been provided under the new burden principle to local authority building control departments to enforce home information packs and energy performance certificates for new build properties.

Yvette Cooper: No funding is being provided under the new burden principle to local authority building control departments to enforce energy performance certificates for new build properties because the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 1998 requires local authorities to set their own charging schemes to recover the cost of their prescribed building control functions. Home information packs are enforced by the local weights and measures authority and not by local authority building control: authorities have been given additional funding to do so.

Home Information Packs: South East Government Office

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of home condition reports commissioned to date in the south-east Government office region; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: 1,562 home condition reports have been lodged in the HCR register to date. The Department does not hold details of the number of home condition reports by Government office region.

Housing: Consultation Papers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the review of the regional spatial strategies before 2011, further to the publication of the Housing Green Paper; and whether this will be undertaken by the regional chambers.

Yvette Cooper: The eight RSSs which cover England are currently being reviewed and the indicative timetables are as follows.
	The task of reviewing the RSSs is being undertaken by the Regional Assemblies and the Secretary of State in accordance with guidance in PPS11.
	The Housing Green Paper stated that the revision of existing RSSs, will continuewith subsequent partial reviews if necessary.
	 North East
	Proposed Changes Consultationautumn 2007
	Issue of final RSSnew year 2008
	 North West
	Proposed Changes Publishedautumn 2007
	Proposed Changes Consultationautumn 2007/new year 2008
	Issue of final RSSspring 2008
	 Yorkshire and Humber
	Proposed Changes Publishedautumn 2007
	Proposed Changes Consultationautumn 2007/winter 2007
	Issue of finalspring 2008
	 East Midlands
	Panel Report Publishedautumn 2007
	Proposed Changes Publishedspring 2008
	Proposed Changes Consultationspring 2008
	Issue of finalautumn 2008
	 West Midlands (Phase 1)
	Proposed Changes ConsultationSeptember 2007/November 2007
	Issue of final RSSnew year 2008
	 West Midlands (Phase 2)
	Draft RSS to SoSwinter 2007
	Consultation on draft RSSwinter 2007/spring 2007
	EiPsummer 2008autumn 2008
	Panel Reportwinter 2008
	Proposed Changes Publishedwinter 2009
	Proposed Changes Consultationwinter 2009/spring 2009
	Issue of final RSSsummer 2009
	 East of England
	Issue of final RSSwinter 2007
	 South East
	Proposed Changes Publishedwinter 2007
	Proposed Changes Consultationwinter 2007/spring 2007
	Issue of final RSSsummer 2008
	 South West
	Panel Reportwinter 2007
	Proposed Changes Publishedspring 2008
	Proposed Changes Consultationspring 2008/summer 2008
	Issue of final RSSautumn 2008

Housing: Databases

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) home condition reports and  (b) energy performance certificates have been logged on their respective online registers.

Yvette Cooper: 1,562 home condition reports have been lodged in the HCR Register to date and 37,879 energy performance certificates have been lodged in the CPC Register as of 5 September 2007.

Housing: Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the likely annual number of energy performance certificates that will need to be commissioned for  (a) Social Homebuy sale,  (b) New Build Homebuy sales and  (c) Open Market Homebuy sales.

Yvette Cooper: At present, energy performance certificates (EPCs) are only required for those properties which also require a home information pack (HIP).
	Currently all three or more bedroom properties for sale on the open market, including those bought under open market homebuy, require the marketer of the property to provide a HIP. We will roll out to all properties having taken into account market operation and other factors ensuring a smooth implementation. As new build homebuy properties are also marketed, they will also require an EPC in line with the HIP duties.
	Sales under the social homebuy scheme to sitting tenants are not subject to the HIP duties and do not currently require an EPC. As we are still rolling out HIPs, it is not yet possible to make an estimate of the number of homebuy properties that the HIP duties will apply to. HIPs will help first-time buyers who will receive the packs for free, giving them extra support as they try to get onto the housing ladder.

Housing: Grants

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding was allocated to the Planning Delivery Grant programme in each year of its operation.

Iain Wright: The total funding for Planning Delivery Grant was 605 million which can be broken down to:
	
		
			million 
			 2003-04 50 
			 2004-05 130 
			 2005-06 170 
			 2006-07 135 
			 2007-08 120

Housing: Grants

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what targets local authorities will have to meet to receive housing and planning delivery grant.

Iain Wright: The mechanism for rewarding housing and planning delivery grant will be subject to a consultation exercise during the autumn.

Housing: Immigrants

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many A8 accession state nationals have  (a) obtained a social housing tenancy from a local authority,  (b) obtained a social housing tenancy from a registered social landlord and  (c) have purchased social housing from either a local authority or a registered social landlord in each year since 2004;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2129W, on Housing: Low Incomes, if she will give a break down by region of the number of social lettings let to foreign nationals in 2005-06;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the number of foreign nationals obtaining general needs lettings in 2005-06, broken down by nationality; and what recent estimate she has made of the total number of foreign nationals who are tenants of social housing.

Iain Wright: Information on the number of foreign national households allocated social housing is collected in the Continuous Recording of Lettings form (CORE). These data are collected on behalf of Communities and Local Government and the Housing Corporation by the Centre for Housing Research at the University of St. Andrews. These data provide information on the flow of new tenants entering social housing each year, as well as the movement of existing social housing tenants transferring from other social housing properties. A question on nationality was first introduced for the 2006-07 data collection period.
	It is not possible to breakdown the estimate provided in the answer of 12 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2129W, on Housing: Low Incomes further. However, the final year data are scheduled to be published on the CORE website by St. Andrews university by mid November 2007. The link for the CORE website is:
	http://www.core.uk
	The number of households headed by an A8 accession state national that have obtained a social housing tenancy from a registered social landlord in 2006-07 is 1,268 (based on provisional data). This is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 606. The link for this table is:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/152609
	Historically CORE has only collected information from registered social landlords but an increasing number of local authorities are now providing information as well. The number of households headed by an A8 accession state national that have obtained a social housing tenancy from local authorities completing CORE during the 2006-07 period, will be published on the CORE website by mid November 2007.
	Currently, information on the number of A8 accession state nationals that have purchased a social housing property from either a local authority or a registered social landlord is unavailable. A question on nationality was only added to the Continuous Recording of Sales form for the 2007-08 collection period. These data will be available for the full year in the 2008 autumn period.
	A breakdown of the number of social lettings allocated to households headed by foreign nationals by region and by nationality will be available when the full year data are published on the CORE website in November 2007.
	Using the Survey of English Housing (SEH) data, the most recent estimate of the total number of foreign national headed households is 309,000, equivalent to about 8 per cent. of the total social housing stock. This survey information provides details on the stock of social housing, as opposed to the flows and movement within social housing recorded by CORE. The Survey of English Housing (SEH) introduced a question on nationality for the first time in 2005-06. This information is available on the Communities and Local Government website, in Housing in England 2005-06Table 1.31. The link for this table is:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/HousingEngland0506

Housing: Inspections

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) home inspectors and  (b) domestic energy inspectors will be issued with official identity cards.

Yvette Cooper: Each Certification and Accreditation Scheme will issue identification cards to its members to use when entering a domestic dwelling to carry out their duties. Householders will have been given the name of the HI/DEA when the appointment would have been made for the inspection.

Housing: Low Incomes

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the ability of key workers in London to buy property in London.

Yvette Cooper: We do not hold data on the ability of key workers to buy property in London. Any such assessment would be for key worker employers to carry out.
	We are doing all we can to help people on modest incomes into housing. Since 2004 we have helped just over 16,000 key workers into a home through the key worker living programme.
	Key worker living is one element of the Government's HomeBuy scheme which will expand the opportunity for home ownership to over a 120,000 households by 2010. We expect 30,000 of those helped through HomeBuy to be key workers.

Housing: Low Incomes

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to introduce the Key Worker Living Programme  (a) in Weston-Super-Mare and  (b) elsewhere in the South West.

Yvette Cooper: The Key Worker Living programme is focused on helping key workers in London, the East and the South East of England regions as areas with the greatest recruitment and retention issues.
	The Government provide each of the nine English regions with funding for affordable housing and asks the regional housing assemblies (previously the regional housing boards) to recommend how the money should be invested based on regional and local housing priorities. All the assemblies were asked whether they wished to recommend allocating a percentage of their resources to help key workers and only London, the East and South East have done so for the 2006-08 funding period. The South West regional housing board recommended that key public sector workers providing essential public services should be one of the priority groups for low cost home ownership assistance through the 2006-07 to 2007-08 National Affordable Housing Programme.
	From April 2006, key workers have become eligible for all Government funded low cost home ownership schemes alongside social tenants, those on the housing register and priority first-time buyers recommended by regional housing boards around the country. In addition, 50 per cent. of homes provided through the First Time Buyers Initiative, being delivered by English Partnerships, which includes areas outside the South East are also available for key workers.

Housing: Low Incomes

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what further steps she plans to take to increase the supply of affordable shared equity and rented family homes in  (a) Warrington and  (b) other housing hot spots in the North West.

Iain Wright: The Housing Green Paper recently announced a 50 per cent. increase in Government investment in affordable homes; at least 8 billion will be spent over the next three years.
	In addition the Government committed to deliver at least 25,000 new shared ownership and shared equity homes nationally each year, by 2010-11.
	The Government Office for the North West is working with regional partners and stakeholders to develop proposals for a regional equity loans product. Although in its early stages, this demonstrates a commitment to tackle affordability issues in the region.
	Furthermore, all housing providers have the opportunity to bid in the Housing Corporation's current investment round for affordable housing. Warrington has the opportunity to bid for Housing Growth Point status, with any bid needing lo demonstrate how affordability will be addressed.

Housing: Prices

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average sale price for a  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three bedroom dwelling was amongst the properties constructed in each area that took part in the design for manufacturer competition.

Yvette Cooper: Construction of the homes on the 10 sites included in the Design for Manufacture competition is still ongoing.
	However, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 26 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 628-29W, and the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes (Mr. Lancaster) on 6 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1890W.

Housing: Renewable Energy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to make changes to the Merton Rule on renewable energy in new developments; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) today (PQ 155448).

Local Authorities: Audit Commission

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the indicators which the Audit Commission collects from local authorities.

Iain Wright: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I will ask the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 4 October 2007:
	I am writing in response to your parliamentary question asking for a list of the performance indicators collected from local authorities by the Audit Commission.
	Although we do have powers to specify performance indicators, we have not used these powers for several years.
	However, you will be aware that the Government, through the Department for Communities and Local Government, specifies the Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs). The Commission collects this information on its behalf and analyses the data.
	The attached spreadsheet shows the data returns we collect from councils. As you will see, some indicators have several sub parts and each of this has a data return. In summary we collect:
	116 returns for Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPI) directly from local authorities via our electronic data collection system (EDC);
	35 data items for BVPIs directly from government departments/national agencies as these are part of other returns such as the Performance Assessment Framework for social care; and
	27 user satisfaction indicators which are generated by surveys carried out every three years, the last one being 2006/07, Authorities submit the survey responses via a website.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
	
		
			  PI Ref  Description  Service area 
			 BV 10 Percentage of non-domestic rates collected Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 100 Temporary Road Closure Transport(1) 
			 BV 102 Passenger Journeys on Buses Transport(1) 
			 BV 106 Percentage of new homes on previously developed land Planning(1) 
			 BV 109a Percentage of major planning applications within 13 weeks Planning(2) 
			 BV 109b Percentage of minor planning applications within 8 weeks Planning(2) 
			 BV 109c Percentage of other planning applications within 8 weeks Planning(2) 
			 BV 11a Percentage of top 5 per cent. earners that are women Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 11b Percentage of top 5 per cent. earners from black and minority ethnic communities Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 11c Top 5 per cent. of earners that have a disability Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 12 Number of working days lost due to sickness absence Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 126 Domestic burglaries per 1,000 households Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 127a Violent crime per 1,000 population Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 127b Robberies per 1,000 population Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 128 Vehicle crimes per 1000 population Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 14 Percentage of early retirements Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 15 Percentage of ill health retirements Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 156 Percentage of buildings accessible for disabled people Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 161 Employment, Education and Training for Care Leavers Health and social care - Children(2) 
			 BV 162 Reviews of Child Protection Cases Health and social care - Children(2) 
			 BV 163 Adoptions of Children Looked After Health and social care - Children(2) 
			 BV 164 Commission for Racial Equality's code of practice in rented housing Housing(1) 
			 BV 165 Pedestrian crossings with facilities for disabled people Transport(1) 
			 BV 166a Environmental health checklist of best practice Environmental Health and Trading Standards(1) 
			 BV 166b Trading standards checklist of best practice Environmental Health and Trading Standards(1) 
			 BV 16a Percentage of disabled employees Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 16b Percentage of economically active disabled community population Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 170a Visits To and Use Of Museums and Galleries: all visits Culture and Related Services(1) 
			 BV 170b Visits to and Use of Museums and Galleries: visits in person Culture and Related Services(1) 
			 BV 170c Visits to and Use of Museums and Galleries: school groups Culture and Related Services(1) 
			 BV 174 Racial incidents per 100000 population Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 175 Racial incidents with further action Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 178 Footpaths and Rights of Way Easy to Use by Public Transport(1) 
			 BV 17a Percentage of black and ethnic minority employees Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 17b Percentage of economically active minority ethnic community population Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 181a KS3 English Performance Education(1) 
			 BV 181b KS3 Mathematics Performance Education(1) 
			 BV 181c KS3 Science Performance Education(1) 
			 BV 181d KS3 ICT Performance Education(1) 
			 BV 183a Average length of Stay in bed and breakfast accommodation Homelessness(1) 
			 BV 183b Average length of stay in hostel accommodation Homelessness(1) 
			 BV 184a Proportion of LA homes which were non-decent Housing(1) 
			 BV 184b Percentage change in the proportion of non decent homes Housing(1) 
			 BV 187 Condition of Surface Footway Transport(1) 
			 BV 194a Key Stage Two Performance (English): Level 5 Education(1) 
			 BV 194b KS2 Mathematics Performance Education(1) 
			 BV 195 Acceptable Waiting Health and social care - Adults(2) 
			 BV 196 Acceptable Waiting Time for Care Packages Health and social care - Adults(2) 
			 BV 197 Teenage Pregnancies Health and social care - Children(2) 
			 BV 198 Drug-Users in Treatment Health and Social Care - Adults(2) 
			 BV 199a Local Street and Environmental Cleanliness  Litter and Detritus Environment(1) 
			 BV 199b Local Street and Environmental Cleanliness - Graffiti Environment(1) 
			 BV 199c Local Street and Environmental Cleanliness - Fly-posting Environment(1) 
			 BV 199d Local Street and Environmental Cleanliness - Fly-tipping Environment(2) 
			 BV 200a Plan-making: Development Plan Planning(1) 
			 BV 200b Plan-making: Milestones Planning(1) 
			 BV 200c Plan-making: Monitoring Report Planning(1) 
			 BV 201 Direct Payments of Benefits Health and social care - Adults(2) 
			 BV 202 Number of people sleeping rough on a single night Homelessness(1) 
			 BV 203 The percentage change in average number of families in temporary accommodation Homelessness(1) 
			 BV 204 The percentage of appeals allowed against the authorities decision to refuse planning applications Planning(1) 
			 BV 205 Quality of service checklist Planning(1) 
			 BV 212 Average time taken to re-let council dwellings Housing(1) 
			 BV 213 Number of homelessness cases prevented Homelessness(1) 
			 BV 214 Repeat homelessness Homelessness(1) 
			 BV 215a Rectification of street lighting faults (non-DNO) Transport(1) 
			 BV 215b Rectification of street lighting faults (DNO) Transport(1) 
			 BV 216a Identifying contaminated land Environmental Health and Trading Standards(1) 
			 BV 216b Information on contaminated land Environmental Health and Trading Standards(1) 
			 BV 217 Pollution control improvements Environmental Health and Trading Standards(1) 
			 BV 218a Abandoned vehicles (investigation) Environmental Health and Trading Standards(1) 
			 BV 218b Abandoned vehicles (removal) Environmental Health and Trading Standards(1) 
			 BV 219a Conservation areas - number Culture and Related Services(1) 
			 BV 219b Conservation areas - character appraisals Culture and Related Services(1) 
			 BV 219c Conservation areas - management plans Culture and Related Services(1) 
			 BV 220 Public library service standards checklist Culture and Related Services(2) 
			 BV 221a Participation in and outcomes from Youth Work Education(1) 
			 BV 221b Participation in and outcomes from Youth Work Education(1) 
			 BV 222a Quality of Early Years and Childcare Leadership  Leaders Education(1) 
			 BV 222b Quality of Early Years and Childcare Leadership  Postgraduate Input Education(1) 
			 BV 223 Condition of Principal Roads Transport(1) 
			 BV 224a Condition of Non-Principal Roads Transport(1) 
			 BV 224b Condition of unclassified roads Transport(1) 
			 BV 225 Actions Against Domestic Violence Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 226a Advice and Guidance Services - total Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 226b Advice and Guidance Services  CLS Quality Mark Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 226c Advice and Guidance Services: direct provision Community Safety(1) 
			 BV 2a The equality standard for local government in England Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 2b Duty to promote race equality Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 38 GCSE Performance: A*-C grades Education(1) 
			 BV 39 GCSE Performance: A*-G grades, incl. Maths and English Education(1) 
			 BV 40 KS2 Mathematics Performance Education(1) 
			 BV 41 KS2 English Performance Education(1) 
			 BV 43a Statements of Special Educational Needs: excluding 'exceptions' Education(1) 
			 BV 43b Statements of Special Educational Needs: including 'exceptions' Education(1) 
			 BV 45 Absence in secondary schools Education(1) 
			 BV 46 Absence in primary schools Education(1) 
			 BV 49 Stability of Placements for Looked After Children Health and social care - Children(2) 
			 BV 50 Educational Qualifications of Looked After Children Health and social care - Children(2) 
			 BV 53 Intensive Home Care for People Aged 65 or Over Health and social care - Adults(2) 
			 BV 54 Over 65s Helped to Live at Home Health and social care - Adults(2) 
			 BV 56 Items of Equipment Delivered Within 7 Working Days Health and social care - Adults(2) 
			 BV 63 Energy Efficiency of Housing Stock Housing(1) 
			 BV 64 Number of private sector dwellings returned into occupation Housing(1) 
			 BV 66a Rent Collection and Arrears Recovery - Rent collected Housing(1) 
			 BV 66b Rent Collection and Arrears Recovery - 7 weeks arrears Housing(1) 
			 BV 66c Rent Collection and Arrears Recovery - Notice seeking possessions served Housing(1) 
			 BV 66d Rent Collection and Arrears Recovery - Evictions Housing(1) 
			 BV 74a Satisfaction of LA tenants with overall service of landlord by All tenants Housing(1) 
			 BV 74b Satisfaction of LA tenants with overall service of landlord by BME groups Housing(1) 
			 BV 74c Satisfaction of LA tenants with overall service of landlord by non-BME groups Housing(1) 
			 BV 75a Satisfaction with participation for all tenants Housing(1) 
			 BV 75b Satisfaction with participation for BME groups Housing(1) 
			 BV 75c Satisfaction with participation for non-BME groups Housing(1) 
			 BV 76a Housing Benefit Security - Number of claimants visited per 1,000 caseload Benefits(1) 
			 BV 76b Housing Benefit Security - Number of investigators per 1,000 caseload Benefits(1) 
			 BV 76c Housing Benefit Security - Number of investigations per 1,000 caseload Benefits(1) 
			 BV 76d Housing Benefit Security - Number of prosecutions and sanctions per 1,000 caseload Benefits(1) 
			 BV 78a Speed of processing new claim to HB/CTB Benefits(1) 
			 BV 78b Speed of processing changes of circumstances to HB/CTB Benefits(1) 
			 BV 79a Accuracy of processing Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit claims Benefits(1) 
			 BV 79b(i) Percentage of recoverable overpayments recovered (HB) Benefits(1) 
			 BV 79b(ii) Percentage of recoverable overpayments recovered (HB) Benefits(1) 
			 BV 79b(iii) Percentage of recoverable overpayments recovered (HB) Benefits(1) 
			 BV 8 Percentage of invoices paid on time Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 82a(i) Household waste management (recycling) - percentage Environment(2) 
			 BV 82a(ii) Household waste management (recycling) - tonnage Environment(2) 
			 BV 82b(i) Household waste management (composting) - percentage Environment(2) 
			 BV 82b(ii) Household Waste Management (composting) - tonnage Environment(2) 
			 BV 82c(i) Household Waste Management (energy recovery) - percentage Environment(2) 
			 BV 82c(ii) Household waste management (energy recovery) - tonnage Environment(2) 
			 BV 82d(i) Household waste management (landfilled) - percentage Environment(2) 
			 BV 82d(ii) Household waste management (landfilled) - tonnage Environment(2) 
			 BV 84a Household waste collection: kilograms Environment(2) 
			 BV 84b Household waste collection: percentage change Environment(2) 
			 BV 86 Cost of household waste collection per household Environment(2) 
			 BV 87 Cost of waste disposal per tonne municipal waste Environment(2) 
			 BV 9 Percentage of Council Tax collected Corporate Health(1) 
			 BV 91a Kerbside collection of recyclables (one recyclable) Environment(2) 
			 BV 91b Kerbside collection of recyclables (two recyclables) Environment(2) 
			 BV 99ai Road accident casualties - Number of casualties - all killed/seriously injured Transport(1) 
			 BV 99aii Road accident casualties - percentage change in number of casualties from previous year - all killed/seriously injured Transport(1) 
			 BV 99aiii Road accident casualties - percentage change in number of casualties between most current year and average of 1994-1998 - all killed/seriously injured Transport(1) 
			 BV 99bi Road accident casualties - Number of casualties - children killed/seriously injured Transport(1) 
			 BV 99bii Road accident casualties - percentage change in number of casualties from previous year - children killed/seriously injured Transport(1) 
			 BV 99biii Road accident casualties - per cent. change in number of casualties between most current year and average of 1994-1998 - children killed/seriously injured Transport(1) 
			 BV 99ci Road accident casualties - Number of casualties - all slight injuries Transport(1) 
			 BV 99cii Road accident casualties - percentage change in number of casualties from previous year - all slight injuries Transport(1) 
			 BV 99ciii Road accident casualties - percentage change in number of casualties between most current year and average of 1994-1998 - all slight injuries Transport(1) 
			 BV 3 Overall Satisfaction with council Corporate Health(3) 
			 BV 4 Satisfaction with complaint handling Corporate Health(3) 
			 BV 89 Satisfaction with cleanliness Environment(3) 
			 BV 90a Satisfaction with waste collection Environment(3) 
			 BV 90b Satisfaction with waste recycling (local facilities) Environment(3) 
			 BV 90c Satisfaction with waste disposal (local tips) Environment(3) 
			 BV 111 Satisfaction with the planning service by those making a planning application Planning(3) 
			 BV 74a Satisfaction of tenants of council housing with the overall service provided by their landlord broken down by:- Tenants(3) 
			 BV 74b black and ethnic minority Tenants(3) 
			 BV 74c non-black and ethnic minority Tenants(3) 
			 BV 75a Satisfaction of tenants of council housing with opportunities for participation in management and decision making in relation to housing services provided by their landlord broken down by:- Tenants(3) 
			 BV 75b black and ethnic minority Tenants(3) 
			 BV 75c non-black and ethnic minority Tenants(3) 
			 BV 103 Satisfaction with transport information Transport(3) 
			 BV 104 Satisfaction with bus services Transport(3) 
			 BV 119a Satisfaction with Sport and leisure facilities Culture and Libraries(3) 
			 BV 119b Satisfaction with Libraries Culture and Libraries(3) 
			 BV 119c Satisfaction with Museums and galleries Culture and Libraries(3) 
			 BV 119d Satisfaction with Theatres and concert halls Culture and Libraries(3) 
			 BV 119e Satisfaction with Parks and open space Culture and Libraries(3) 
			 BV 118a Library users who found a book to borrow Libraries (supplied by IPF)(2) 
			 BV 118b Library users who found the information they were looking for Libraries (supplied by IPF)(2) 
			 BV 118c Library users who were satisfied with the library service overall Libraries (supplied by IPF)(2) 
			 BV 80a Satisfaction with contact with the Benefits Office Benefits(3) 
			 BV 80b Satisfaction with service in the Benefits Office Benefits(3) 
			 BV 80c Satisfaction with the telephone service Benefits(3) 
			 BV 80d Satisfaction with staff in the Benefits Office Benefits(3) 
			 BV 80e Satisfaction with Benefits forms Benefits(3) 
			 BV 80f Satisfaction with speed of service Benefits(3) 
			 BV 80g Overall satisfaction with the Benefits Office Benefits(3) 
			 (1) Data collected via EDC - total 116. (2) Data collected by other government departments or agencies - total 35. (3) Data collected via user survey - total 23.

Local Government Executive: Pay

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the average annual salary costs of directly elected mayors in England for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportional cost.

National Housing and Planning Advice Unit

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the  (a) purpose and  (b) budget is of the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit;
	(2)  who the board members of the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit are; and by what process they were appointed;
	(3)  how many full-time equivalent staff work for the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit.

Yvette Cooper: The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit's objective is to advise Government and the regions on the implications for the level and broad distribution of future house building of the Government's national ambitions for long-term market affordability and housing supply. The unit's budget for 2007-08 is 1,459,000 to include funding research and expert analysis on future housing trends.
	The board members of the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit are:
	Stephen Nickell (Chair), Warden of Nuffield College, Oxford
	Prof. Glen Bramley, Professor of Housing and Urban Planning, Heriot-Watt University
	Prof. Paul Cheshire, Professor of Economic Geography, LSE
	Bob Lane, Chief Executive for Catalyst Corby/North Northants Development Co.
	Max Steinberg, Chief Executive of Elevate East Lancashire
	Dr. Peter Williams, Independent consultant on housing and mortgage markets and housing policy and acts as Executive Director of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association.
	The board appointments were made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
	There are 12 full-time equivalent staff who work for the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit.

Noise: Wind Power

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the guidelines for noise emission from wind turbines to be taken into account by planning authorities; and whether she has plans to review such guidelines.

Iain Wright: Planning policies for renewable energy technologies, including wind turbines, are set out in Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS22). PPS22 is supported by a companion guide which provides practice guidance on planning for renewables. Both documents are available at www.communities.gov.uk
	PPS22 expects local planning authorities to
	ensure that renewable energy developments have been located and designed in such a way to minimise increases in ambient noise levels;
	and in doing so, assess and rate noise from wind energy developments using the 1997 report by the Energy and Technology Support Unit. This report is available on the BERR website (www.berr.gov.uk). There are no plans to review this guidance at present.

Planning: Appeals

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1693W, on planning: appeals, how many planning appeals have been considered and ruled upon by the Planning Inspectorate in relation to planning applications for residential development within the curtilage of existing residential development since 1 April; how many were allowed; and how many were dismissed.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Planning: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the revenue from planning fees in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2006-07.

Iain Wright: The revenue income from planning fees for 2007-08 is estimated to be 234 million.
	The revenue income from fees for the period 2006-07 was estimated to be 232 million.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has plans to prevent local authorities from adopting a Merton rule in the planning process; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 9 October 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) today (PQ 155448).

Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what impact she expects the recent changes to the Merton rule to have on progress towards the Government's targets for carbon dioxide emission reduction.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 17 September 2007
	The Government have set out a timetable to cut carbon emissions from new homes. Major reductions will be required in 2010 and 2013. By 2016 all new homes must be zero carbon including appliances. These reductions need to be underpinned in the planning system as well as in building regulations, and they will require major increases in the use of renewables. Merton Rules are an important part of this framework.
	As we gear up to our zero-carbon ambition, councils will be able to continue with and adopt new Merton Rules, although it is very important they are properly tested as part of development plan documents to ensure that standards are compatible with increasing affordable housing in the area. We also believe they should be sufficiently flexible to allow for off site as well as on site renewable technologies and councils should also consider wider local low carbon opportunities. The emphasis should be on minimising carbon emissions and maximising the scope for innovation. When there are clear carbon savings to be had from local energy supplies they should be included.
	As we have said in Building a Greener Future, councils should have a strategy for securing decentralised and renewable and low carbon energy in new development. Our new Planning Policy Statement on climate change will therefore support local strategies that include both site (and area) specific targets and Merton-style rules. The area specific targets should be set for locations where higher proportions of renewable and low carbon energy are feasible and viable.

Renewable Energy

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's policy is on the Merton Rule; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) today (PQ 155448).

Right to Buy Scheme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's  (a) estimate and  (b) target is for the annual number of (i) local authority and (ii) housing association Right to Buy sales in England in the next period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The Government do not set any targets for right to buy sales. The right to buy is available to secure tenants of local authorities and housing associations, while assured tenants of housing associations who have transferred with their homes from local authorities have a preserved right to buy. Social landlords are required by the Housing (Right to Buy) (Information to Secure Tenants) (England) Order 2005 to give their tenants an outline of the provisions of part 5 of the Housing Act 1985 (the right to buy scheme). It is up to individual tenants to decide whether they wish to exercise their right to buy, in the light of their personal circumstances.

Sleeping Rough

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she has taken to reduce levels of street homelessness.

Iain Wright: In 1998 the Prime Minister set a target that by 2002 the number of rough sleepers should be reduced by at least two-thirds. The target was met ahead of time and is being sustained. In 1998 there were 1,850 rough sleepers on the streets of England on any single night. In 2007 there were just over 500.
	In addition, our 90 million Hostels Capital Improvement Programme is helping make hostels places of change with 178 projects in 62 local authority areas. Hostels will provide better opportunities for people who have been homeless and prevent them from returning to the streets.

St. Paul's Cathedral

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward legislation to protect the viewing corridor of St Paul's Cathedral from Richmond Park.

Iain Wright: The viewing corridor from Richmond Park to St. Paul's Cathedral is one of the 11 protected vistas identified in the Mayor of London's view management framework. Directions requiring consultation on proposals that may affect these vistas have now been issued by the Secretary of State and came into effect on 13 July 2007.

Thames Gateway: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which capital projects were funded in the Thames Gateway project in each year since its inception; and how much each has cost.

Yvette Cooper: The total amount of capital funding by year was:
	
		
			million 
			 2003-04 38.4 
			 2004-05 136.4 
			 2005-06 143.8 
			 2006-07 118.3 
		
	
	Since 2003 central Government have invested over 7 billion into the Gateway for major infrastructure, roads, schools, and other facilities, as well as project funding provided by my Department. The Gateway also benefits from the 1.8 billion public sector contribution to the channel tunnel rail link enabling international services via Ebbsfleet from 14 November this year, and domestic services from 2009.

Unitary Councils

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for laying and ratification of secondary legislation in relation to areas where unitary local government bids  (a) are still being considered and  (b) have been approved.

John Healey: Subject to the enactment of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, we intend, in late November or early December, to take final decisions on all unitary local government bids and to lay any draft implementation orders before Parliament. Subject to parliamentary approval of the drafts, we intend to make implementation orders around the end of 2007. We also intend to make regulations making general provision about such matters as the transfer of property, rights and liabilities and staff.

Wind Power: Planning

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has given to planning authorities on the minimum distances between wind turbines and residential accommodation; and what information she holds in relation to the equivalent guidance given in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Wales.

Iain Wright: The companion guide which supports Planning Policy Statement 22 notes that 'fall over' distance (i.e. the height of the turbine to the tip of the blade) plus 10 per cent. is often used as a safe separation distance; but advises that the minimum desirable distance between wind turbines and occupied buildings, calculated on the basis of expected noise levels and visual impact, will often be greater than that necessary to meet safety requirements.
	Guidance for Scotland and Wales is a matter for the Scottish Executive and for the Welsh Assembly Government.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether a new academy may be approved in an area where the local education authority is opposed to it; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: A large majority of academies replace existing weak or under-performing schools. Others are proposed by local authorities as brand new schools in areas needing extra schools places. Each of these academies is, in effect, jointly commissioned by the Department and the local authority, with the local authority a signatory to the formal academy project expression of interest.
	Other academy projects are brought forward where an academy proposal wins the competition now required under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 for most new and replacement schools. The purpose of the competitions is to ensure that new schools exhibit the highest standards and quality and that they meet the needs of each locality. Competitions are decided by the relevant local authority, unless the local authority itself enters a proposal in the competition, in which case the competition is decided by the independent schools adjudicator.
	There are also a small number of former fee-paying day schools, which want to become academies in order to transform their contribution to local education by expanding and broadening their pupil intake to the benefit of all local students. In these cases, the local authority is not a signatory to the expression of interest, but the Secretary of State is under a duty to consult the local authority before considering the academy's formal funding agreement.

Academies: Capital Investment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the capital cost was of each academy  (a) opened and  (b) planned since 2002.

Jim Knight: Originally, academies were built with capital grant paid directly by the Secretary of State, together with a contribution from the sponsors. A new method under which academy buildings are being procured through Building Schools for the Future (BSF) or Partnership for Schools' (PfS) national framework has now been introduced.
	Capital grant paid by the Secretary of State is paid under a funding agreement with the relevant academy trust. The first table as follows lists estimated costs including capital grant and sponsorship funding, for academies where a funding agreement has been signed, and the Secretary of State is paying capital grant to the relevant academy trust. For some such academies, no estimated cost is available because the design process is still at an early stage, and the section of the funding agreement relating to capital grant has yet to be agreed. Academies marked with an asterisk are operating in completed buildings.
	A number of other academy projects are still at the feasibility stage of development and as no part of the funding agreement has yet been signed, and no estimated costs are available, these are excluded from the table.
	
		
			  Academy with signed funding agreement  Estimated cost including capital grant and sponsorship (000) 
			 Manchester Academy* 19,786 
			 Lambeth Academy* 25,445 
			 Northampton Academy* 27,358 
			 Paddington Academy* 31,523 
			 Salford Academy* 16,704 
			 Barnsley Academy 28,369 
			 Walthamstow Academy 29,950 
			 Sheffield Springs Academy 27,300 
			 Sheffield Park Academy 29,000 
			 Stockport Academy 27,375 
			 The Academy at Peckham*, Southwark 30,169 
			 Harris Academy South Norwood* 35,991 
			 Harris Bermondsey Academy 17,270 
			 The King's Academy Middlesbrough* 22,301 
			 Trinity Academy, Doncaster* 25,070 
			 Haberdashers' - Hatcham Academy, Lewisham*(1) 7,045 
			 Haberdashers' - Knights Academy, Lewisham* 40,455 
			 Marlowe Academy, Kent* 27,803 
			 Folkestone Academy* 36,820 
			 Walsall Academy* 17,321 
			 Sandwell Academy* 27,149 
			 Bexley Business Academy*(2) 38,631 
			 Greig Academy, Haringey* 16,479 
			 Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough* 21,790 
			 Capital City Academy, Brent* 27,494 
			 City of London Academy, Southwark* 33,685 
			 City Academy, Bristol* 27,666 
			 West London Academy, Ealing*(2) 32,221 
			 London Academy, Barnet* 34,356 
			 Mossbourne Academy, Hackney* 28,624 
			 Stockley Academy, Hillingdon* 27,549 
			 St. Francis of Assisi Academy, Liverpool* 20,868 
			 The Harefield Academy, Hillingdon 34,200 
			 Dixons Academy, Bradford*(1) 6,510 
			 David Young Community Academy, Leeds* 23,577 
			 Grace Academy, Solihull* 31,700 
			 Westminster Academy* 30,618 
			 Thomas Deacon Academy, Peterborough* 50,396 
			 St. Paul's Academy, Greenwich n/a(3) 
			 John Madejski Academy, Reading 27,656 
			 The Bridge Academy, Hackney 47,722 
			 Samworth Enterprise Academy, Leicester* (2) 19,502 
			 The Petchey Academy, Hackney* 34,215 
			 North Liverpool Academy 40,203 
			 Bradford Cathedral Academy* 20,471 
			 Macmillan Academy, Middlesbrough*(1) 13,035 
			 Djanogly Academy, Nottingham*(1) 23,660 
			 St. Matthew Academy, Lewisham(2) 30,856 
			 OASIS Academy, Enfield 32,676 
			 Slough Academy Langley 31,533 
			 Leigh Technology Academy, Kent(1) 36,590 
			 St. Mary Magdalene Academy, Islington(4) 40,022 
			 Withywood Academy, Bristol 29,200 
			 Excelsior Academy, Newcastle 37,883 
			 Corby City Academy 27,109 
			 Ashcroft Technology Academy, Wandsworth(1) 13,636 
			 Landau Forte Academy, Derby*(1) 4,600 
			 Woodway Park Academy, Coventry 32,299 
			 Immingham Academy, N. E. Lincolnshire 26,572 
			 Wintringham Academy, N.E. Lincolnshire 23,046 
			 Kensington and Chelsea Academy 39,250 
			 Brooke Weston Academy, Northants(1) 4,612 
			 John Cabot Academy, South Gloucs(1) 3,781 
			 Q3 Academy, Sandwell 29,544 
			 The Belvedere Academy, Liverpool(5) 9,811 
			 Bacons Academy, Southwark(1) 3,999 
			 William Hulme's Academy, Manchester(5) 9,500 
			 Spires Academy, Kent(6) 7,200 
			 The Marsh Academy, Kent(6) 10,000 
			 North Oxfordshire Academy 16,234 
			 Burlington Danes Academy, Hammersmith and Fulham N/k(7) 
			 The Gateway Academy, Thurrock N/k(7) 
			 Madeley Academy, Telford N/k(7) 
			 St. Mark's CE Academy, Merton N/k(7) 
			 Harris Academy, Merton N/k(7) 
			 Harris Girls Academy, East Dulwich N/k(7) 
			 King Solomon Academy, Westminster N/k(7) 
			 Swindon Academy N/k(7) 
			 (1) Conversions from city technology colleges. (2) All through academies catering for pupils aged three to 19 and costs include primary and secondary sections. (3) Costs not yet established as contract not signed. (4) All through academy catering for pupils aged three to 19. Costs include primary section but not the early years centre funded by London borough of Islington. (5) Formerly fee-paying schools. (6) Ministers have given special dispensation for these to be procured through Kent county council's own South East Centre of Excellence framework. (7) Funding Agreement signed, but the capital grant part not yet agreed: these academies have opened in existing buildings. 
		
	
	The academies shown in the following table are being procured through BSF or PfS national framework, and the PfS estimated allocations are given in the following table. These figures represent the current assessment by PfS of the order of funding to be allocated for each project and may change as each project proceeds and costs are confirmed. Academies are only shown where a funding agreement has been signedthat is, they are in the implementation phase or are open; those at the feasibility stage are not shown. No capital contribution is required from the sponsors, who invest their sponsorship in an endowment for the academies concerned.
	
		
			  Academy( 1)  Estimated allocation (000) 
			 Milton Keynes Academy 29,529 
			 Pennywell/Quarry View Academy, Sunderland 23,800 
			 Castle View Academy, Sunderland 16,389 
			 Red House Academy, Sunderland 12,133 
			 The Bristol Brunei Academy(2) 23,900 
			 Eastbourne Church of England Academy, Darlington 15,338 
			 Cornwallis, South Maidstone Federation, Kent 36,449 
			 New Line Learning Academy, South Maidstone Federation 21,184 
			 Barnfield West Academy, Luton 29,048 
			 Barnfield South Academy, Luton 29,048 
			 Havelock Academy, N. E. Lincolnshire 20,360 
			 St. Anne's Academy, Rochdale 16,543 
			 George Salter Collegiate Academy, Sandwell 21,000 
			 Shireland Collegiate Academy, Sandwell 19,000 
			 Walworth Academy, Southwark 27,406 
			 St. Michael and All Angels C of E Academy, Southwark 37,599 
			 (1) The Academy names are as at 26 September 2007; some may change later in development. (2) Buildings procured under a PFI contract, let by Bristol city council.

Academies: Governing Bodies

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and which academies appoint an elected teacher or staff representative to their governing bodies.

Jim Knight: holding answer 8 October 2007
	The Department does not collect these data.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many new  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools will (i) start construction and (ii) be completed under the Building Schools for the Future programme in each of the next three financial years; and what proportion of those schools will be (i) new build and (ii) refurbishment of existing facilities.

Jim Knight: Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is a core part of the DCSF's capital strategy, providing a new approach to capital investment in secondary schools. The programme aims to create world-class, 21st-century schoolsenvironments which will inspire learning for decades to come and provide exceptional assets for the whole community. Subject to future public spending decisions, the intention is to achieve this aim for every secondary school pupil within 15 waves. BSF was launched in 2004.
	In financial year 2008-09, we expect that 51 schools will be completed, of which 34 will be new build and 17 will have been refurbished. A further 155 are expected to start construction.
	In financial year 2009-10, we expect that 117 schools will be completed, of which 50 will be new build and 67 will have been refurbished. A further 174 are expected to start construction.
	In financial year 2010-11, we expect that 167 schools will be completed, of which 60 will be new build and 107 will have been refurbished. A further 121 are expected to start construction.
	These figures represent current plans, and will be subject to change as projects develop. In particular, the scope of projects in waves four, five and six is still in development, with timelines and the ratio of new build to refurbishment yet to be confirmed.
	The BSF programme does not include primary schools. Our Primary Capital Programme will provide additional investment of 1.15 billion for primary schools between 2008 and 2011, with the assumption that the programme will run for 14 years, subject to future public spending decisions.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Academies

Ken Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make it his policy to agree to fund Building Schools for the Future programmes where the local authority has produced a sound plan for the development of secondary education whether or not an academy is included.

Jim Knight: It already is our policy to fund Building Schools for the Future projects whether or not an academy is included. However, where a Building Schools for the Future project includes a weak or underperforming school that meets the criteria for consideration as a potential academy project, we strongly urge the authority to consider this option, and where it does not choose to do so, to show that it has equally strong alternative and innovative plans that will achieve the same outcome of raising standards at the school.

Children: Exercise

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age children undertaking two hours physical exercise per week in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2007.

Jim Knight: The annual PE and School Sport Survey was introduced in 2003/04 and collects data relating to participation in PE and School Sport over the last three years. The percentage of pupils who took part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Primary  Secondary  Total 
			 2003/04 52 73 62 
			 2004/05 64 75 69 
			 2005/06 82 78 80 
		
	
	Prior to 2003/04, no data were collected relating to the amount of time spent on PE and school sport.

Children's Plan 8 to 13 Working Group

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families who sits on the Children's Plan 8 to 13 working group; and how frequently it meets.

Jim Knight: The 8 to 13 Expert Group is chaired jointly by Lord Andrew Adonis, Kevin Brennan MP and Sir Alan Steer, Head Teacher Seven Kings High School, Ilford, Essex.
	The following are members of the group:
	Sir Keith Ajegboa former Head Teacher who has recently led the Citizenship and Diversity Curriculum Review for Government.
	Graham BadmanDirector of Children's Services at Kent local authority.
	Sue CampbellChair of the Youth Sport Trust
	Rosie ChadwickHead of Prevention Services at Crime Concern
	Jonathan DouglasDirector of the National Literacy Trust
	Fiona Edwardsteacher at Stebon Primary School in Tower Hamlets, London
	Dr John GuyPrincipal of Farnborough Sixth Form College, Hampshire
	Fiona HammansHead Teacher at Banbury School, Oxfordshire
	Barbara Hearndeputy Chief Executive of the National Children's Bureau
	Jim Herbertteaching assistant at Little Ilford School, Manor Park in London
	Ron JenkinsonHead Teacher at St. Osmund Middle School, Dorchester, Dorset
	Carol LakeManaging Director, JP Morgan
	Brian LambChair of the Special Educational Needs Consortium
	Denise LynchAttendance Leader in Education Welfare, Children's Services, Salford local authority
	Mary MacLeodChief Executive of the Families and Parenting Institute
	Dame Mary MarshChief Executive of the NSPCC
	Kris Murrinchild psychologist and presenter on the BBC
	Penny Rogersconsultant in the North Essex Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
	Caroline RyderHead Teacher at Carr Junior School in York
	Vicky ScottJoint Commissioning Manager for the Primary Care Trust and Local Authority, Lewisham, London
	Sheila WhiteHead Teacher at Wyborne Primary School, Greenwich, London
	Sir Michael WilshawPrincipal of Mossbourne Community Academy Hackney, London
	The group has met once already, and will do so again twice more over the course of the autumn term. There are no plans to extend the group beyond this point.

Danley Middle School

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions his Department has had with Kent County Council on its plans to close Danley Middle School and sell it for development.

Jim Knight: holding answer 11 October 2007
	 There have been no discussions with Kent county council about the closure of Danley Middle School and disposal of the site. Kent county council is considering proposals to reorganise schools in the Isle of Sheppey as part of plans to establish a new academy. The realisation of capital receipts from the sale of the Danley Middle School site was one of Maurice Smith's key recommendations in his review of the Sheppey Academy proposals, commissioned by Ministers.

Departments: Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what accounts directions were issued by his Department's predecessors in financial years  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Jim Knight: Under the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000 the HM Treasury issues accounts directions to the Department and its pension scheme.
	For the financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07 the Department issued accounts directions for the form and content of resource and other accounts to the following bodies sponsored by the former Department for Education and Skills:
	 2005-06
	Adult Learning Inspectorate
	British Educational Communications Technology Agency
	Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
	Children's Commissioner
	Construction Industry Training Board
	Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
	Higher Education Funding Council for England
	Investors in People UK Ltd
	Learning and Skills Council
	National College of School Leadership
	Office for Fair Access
	Partnerships for Schools
	Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
	Sector Skills Development Agency
	Student Loans Company Ltd
	Training and Development Agency for Schools
	 2006-07
	Quality Improvement Agencyoperational from 1 April 2006
	School Food Trustoperational from 1 April 2006

Departments: Employment Agencies

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much the Department paid in fees to recruitment agencies for  (a) temporary and  (b) permanent staff in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The Department for Education and Skills was established in June 2001. The sums paid by the then Department for Education and Skills to recruitment agencies for temporary staff are shown as follows. These figures include the fees paid to the agency and the wages paid for those temporary staff. A breakdown of that information, and information prior to April 2002, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Financial year  (April to March each year)  Agency spend  () 
			 2002-03 2,688,149 
			 2003-04 1,621,233 
			 2004-05 1,498,420 
			 2005-06 2,315,552 
			 2006-07 1,500,682 
		
	
	Sums have also been paid to recruitment consultants for executive search and selection services, mainly in recruiting at senior civil service level. For that information I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given earlier in PQ 140034. A breakdown of the information provided in that answer to distinguish between the costs incurred in recruiting people who were appointed on either indefinite, fixed term, secondment or loan contracts could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Public Bodies

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will list his Department and its predecessors in  (a) executive agencies,  (b) executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs),  (c) advisory NDPBs,  (d) tribunal NDPBs,  (e) trading funds and  (f) public corporations for each financial year since 2005-06.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be found in the following sources:
	for 2005 and 2006 Public Bodies 2005 and Public Bodies 2006 published by the Cabinet Office
	for 2007 the DCSF website lists the DfES bodies for 2007 (http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ndpb/)
	Current position, following Machinery of Government Changes of July 2007, can also be found in the DCSF website, including a list of those now moved to DIUS.
	These sources list all the bodies requested and indicate whether they are Executive, advisory or tribunal NDPBs, or public corporations. The previous DFES and latterly the DCSF do not have any executive agencies or trading funds.

Education: Gender

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has conducted into the gender gap in school achievement; and what steps he is taking to close this gap.

Jim Knight: In England, girls have out-performed boys since GCSE examinations were introduced in 1988. In 2006 63.4 per cent. of girls and 53.8 per cent. of boys achieved 5+ A*-C grade GCSEs (2007 results will be published later this month). Girls are ahead of boys overall at each phase of education from early years and foundation onwards. The largest gaps are in literacy and the smallest are in mathematics and science subjects. The gaps in England have been broadly stable over two decades, and are in line with those in other OECD countries.
	The reasons for girls' better attainment in literacy and indeed overall are complex, but appear mainly related to biological differences, differences in maturation, and differences in attitudes to learning and reading at different ages. The Department's recently published research paper Gender and education: the evidence on pupils in England, of which there is a copy in the Library of the House, sets out the research evidence.
	Four points should be noted:
	first, boys' attainment has improved sharply over the past decade, broadly keeping pace with that of girls;
	second, there are also issues of girls' under-attainment, and of girls' subject choices, which are worthy of attention;
	third, gender gaps can be minimised by inclusive teaching strategies, and by the encouragement of reading;
	fourth, the key objective is that every individual pupil is stretched to his or her full potential.
	The Government's strategy, reflecting this last point, is to continue to improve teaching and learning with a special focus on personalised learning and the progress made by each individual pupil. In addition, the Department is planning a programme of school-level investigations and action research activities on gender issues. This programme will build on existing departmental initiatives focused on boys' literacy, such as Boys Into Books which has enabled every state-funded secondary school in England to select for its library 20 free books targeted at teenage boys. It will also include issues of girls' under-attainment, and girls' subject choices. The activities will feed into the forthcoming National Year of Reading which will promote reading both for leisure and school attainment purposes.

Folk Culture: Curriculum

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will bring forward proposals to include the teaching of English folk dance and song in the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: For children aged 5-11, dance is already a compulsory part of the current physical education curriculum, and schools may choose to teach English folk dancing as part of that compulsory requirement. The current National Curriculum Programme for the Study of Music states that the breadth of study should be taught through a range of music from different times and cultures which may include music from the British Isles.
	For pupils aged 11-14 there has been some freeing up of the Programmes of Study in the new secondary curriculum, which is being phased in over a three-year period beginning in September 2008. Dance is one of six optional activities within the National Curriculum for Physical Education and schools will be able to teach more dance for their pupils if there is sufficient demand for it. The new Programme of Study for Music at Key Stage 3 says that the study of music should include a range of classical and popular traditions and this is expected to include music from different national and cultural traditions, which not only includes the western classical tradition but can also include folk music.

Further Education

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which 200 secondary schools had the lowest post-16 staying-on rate in full-time education at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The requested information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools, City Technology Colleges and Academies with a sixth form( 1) : 200 schools with lowest post 16 staying on rates in full-time education( 2) , position in January 2006 and 2007, schools in England 
			  School name  LA no.  LA name  ESTAB no.  Staying-on rate 
			 Walworth School 210 Southward 4215 4.3 
			 Archbishop Michael Ramsey Technology College 210 Southward 4725 5.7 
			 Howden School and Technology College 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 4063 6.3 
			 The Eastwood School (11-18) 882 Southend-on-Sea 5414 6.3 
			 New College Leicester 856 Leicester 4005 7.9 
			 Joseph Ruston Technology College 925 Lincolnshire 5414 8.0 
			 Brislington Enterprise College 801 Bristol. City of 4032 8.2 
			 Impington Village College 873 Cambridgeshire 4004 8.6 
			 Manchester Academy 352 Manchester 6905 9.0 
			 Archbishop Tenison's School 208 Lambeth 5403 9.2 
			 The Robert Napier School 887 Medway 5423 9.3 
			 Wyke Manor School 380 Bradford 4033 9.5 
			 Ashdown Technology College 836 Poole 4112 9.8 
			 Bradford Cathedral Community College 380 Bradford 4615 10.1 
			 The Ridings School 381 Calderdale 4036 11.1 
			 The Grove 845 East Sussex 4058 11.5 
			 Kings International College for Business and the Arts 936 Surrey 4468 11.8 
			 Woodford Lodge High School 875 Cheshire 4129 11.9 
			 The Morton School 909 Cumbria 4301 11.9 
			 Filsham Valley School 845 East Sussex 4073 12.6 
			 Hinchley Wood School and Sixth Form Centre 936 Surrey 5416 12.6 
			 Edgecliff High School 860 Staffordshire 4083 12.6 
			 Parklands High School 341 Liverpool 4431 12.6 
			 New Brompton College 887 Medway 5454 12.7 
			 Rossmore Community College 836 Poole 4111 12.9 
			 Washwood Heath Technology College 330 Birmingham 4084 13.1 
			 Sir Frank Markham Community School 826 Milton Keynes 4085 13.6 
			 Woodside High SchoolA Business and Enterprise Specialist School 309 Haringey 4034 13.6 
			 St. Wilfrid's Catholic High School 343 Sefton 4801 14.4 
			 Baysgarth School 813 North Lincolnshire 4491 14.7 
			 North Cumbria Technology College 909 Cumbria 5408 14.7 
			 Park View Academy 309 Haringey 4037 14.8 
			 The Ellowes Hall School Specialist Sports College 332 Dudley 5401 14.9 
			 Peers School 931 Oxfordshire 4074 15.3 
			 Derby Moor Community Sports College 831 Derby 4178 15.5 
			 Gladesmore Community School 309 Haringey 4033 15.5 
			 Intake High School Arts College 383 Leeds 4054 16.0 
			 The Verdin High School 875 Cheshire 4130 16.1 
			 Handsworth Wood Girls' Visual and Performing Arts Specialist College and Sixth Form Centre 330 Birmingham 4207 16.1 
			 West London Academy 307 Ealing 6905 16.1 
			 Neatherd High School 926 Norfolk 4085 16.2 
			 Corby Community College 928 Northamptonshire 4101 16.2 
			 Northgate High School 926 Norfolk 4002 16.4 
			 Alderman White School and Language College 891 Nottinghamshire 4117 16.9 
			 City of Leeds School 383 Leeds 4031 17.1 
			 Tividale Community Arts College 333 Sandwell 4120 17.2 
			 Burnham Upper School 825 Buckinghamshire 4074 17.2 
			 Quarrydale School 891 Nottinghamshire 4068 17.3 
			 Moorside High School 860 Staffordshire 4072 17.4 
			 West Gate Community College 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 4498 17.5 
			 John Mansfield School 874 Peterborough 4074 17.6 
			 Charles Edward Brooke School 208 Lambeth 4509 17.7 
			 Portland School 891 Nottinghamshire 4374 18.0 
			 Matthew Humberstone Church of England School 812 North East Lincolnshire 4503 18.2 
			 Ninestiles School 330 Birmingham 5411 18.2 
			 Beauchamps High School 881 Essex 5406 18.2 
			 The National School, a CofE Technology College 891 Nottinghamshire 4635 18.2 
			 Meopham School 886 Kent 5424 18.3 
			 Bramcote Hills Sport and Community College 891 Nottinghamshire 4118 18.4 
			 The Harefield Academy 312 Hillingdon 6906 18.9 
			 The Netherhall School 873 Cambridgeshire 4061 19.0 
			 Carr Manor High School 383 Leeds 4041 19.0 
			 City of Ely Community College 873 Cambridgeshire 4083 19.3 
			 Wortley High School 383 Leeds 4057 19.4 
			 Chatham South School 887 Medway 4215 19.4 
			 George Stephenson Community High School 392 North Tyneside 4030 19.5 
			 Mandeville Upper School 825 Buckinghamshire 4067 19.6 
			 John Smeaton Community High School 383 Leeds 4045 19.7 
			 Sawyers Hall College of Science and Technology 881 Essex 5425 19.7 
			 The King Alfred School 933 Somerset 4304 19.8 
			 St. Margaret Ward Catholic School and Arts College 861 Stoke-on-Trent 4711 19.8 
			 Vale of Ancholme Technology College 813 North Lincolnshire 4091 19.8 
			 Unity College 928 Northamptonshire 4103 20.0 
			 South Leeds High School 383 Leeds 4851 20.1 
			 Shorefields School 341 Liverpool 4419 20.5 
			 Woodham Community Technology College 840 Durham 4175 20.6 
			 The Lindsey School and Community Arts College 812 North East Lincolnshire 4086 20.8 
			 Cressex Community School 825 Buckinghamshire 4072 20.8 
			 Retford Oaks High School 891 Nottinghamshire 4465 21.2 
			 Coombe Boys' School 314 Kingston upon Thames 5403 21.3 
			 Whitcliffe Mount Specialist Business and Enterprise College 382 Kirklees 4500 21.4 
			 Oulder Hill Community School and Language College 354 Rochdale 4089 21.4 
			 The Brakenhale School 867 Bracknell Forest 4030 21.4 
			 The International School and Community College, East Birmingham 330 Birmingham 4244 21.5 
			 Tollbar Business and Enterprise College 812 North East Lincolnshire 4078 21.8 
			 Wadham School 933 Somerset 4508 22.1 
			 Blake Valley Technology College 860 Staffordshire 4071 22.1 
			 The Westwood SchoolA Technology College 331 Coventry 4043 22.2 
			 Minster College 886 Kent 5417 22.3 
			 Ellesmere Port Specialist School of Performing Arts 875 Cheshire 4161 22.3 
			 St. Martin in the Fields High School for Girls 208 Lambeth 5404 22.6 
			 Slough and Eton CE Business and Enterprise College 871 Slough 4510 22.6 
			 Whalley Range 11-18 High School and Business and Enterprise College 352 Manchester 4257 22.9 
			 Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College 846 Brighton and Hove 4067 23.1 
			 Parkfield High School 336 Wolverhampton 4131 23.1 
			 Sir John Nelthorpe SchoolA Specialist Technology College for Science, Mathematics and Computing 813 North Lincolnshire 4501 23.1 
			 Cardinal Hinsley Mathematics and Computing College 304 Brent 5407 23.1 
			 Littlehampton Community School, The 938 West Sussex 4062 23.2 
			 Henbury High School 875 Cheshire 5402 23.3 
			 Serlby Park A 3-18 Business and Enterprise Learning Community 891 Nottinghamshire 4420 23.3 
			 The Wildernesse School 886 Kent 5433 23.3 
			 Sir James Smith's Community School 908 Cornwall 4141 23.4 
			 The Northfields Technology College 820 Bedfordshire 4008 23.5 
			 The Rickstones School 881 Essex 5412 23.5 
			 Primrose High School 383 Leeds 4044 23.5 
			 Central Technology College 916 Gloucestershire 5413 237 
			 Cleeve Park School 303 Bexley 4030 24.1 
			 Northfleet Technology College 886 Kent 5456 24.1 
			 Hextable School 886 Kent 4219 24.1 
			 Park Hall School 334 Solihull 4031 24.4 
			 Weavers School 928 Northamptonshire 5408 24.4 
			 Magnus CofE School 891 Nottinghamshire 4583 24.5 
			 Fair Oak Business and Enterprise College 860 Staffordshire 4171 24.5 
			 St. Chad's Catholic High School 876 Halton 4614 24.5 
			 Norton Canes High School 860 Staffordshire 4066 24.7 
			 King Edmund Community School 803 South Gloucestershire 4122 24.8 
			 Kings College for the Arts and Technology 936 Surrey 4509 24.8 
			 Sprowston High School 926 Norfolk 4043 24.9 
			 The Park High School 926 Norfolk 4019 25.0 
			 Rosemary Musker High School. Thetford 926 Norfolk 4093 25.0 
			 Oldfield School 800 Bath and North East Somerset 5401 25.1 
			 Filton High School 803 South Gloucestershire 4113 25.2 
			 St. Mary's CofE High School 302 Barnet 5403 25.3 
			 Penketh High School 877 Warrington 4201 25.4 
			 The Bromfords School 881 Essex 5407 25.5 
			 The Grange School and Sports College 803 South Gloucestershire 4149 25.5 
			 Lying Hall School 331 Coventry 4030 25.5 
			 Lea Valley High School 308 Enfield 4038 25.8 
			 Sandhurst School 867 Bracknell Forest 4058 25.9 
			 All Saints Catholic College 357 Tameside 4604 25.9 
			 Prospect College 870 Reading 5410 26.0 
			 Sheldon Heath Community Arts College 330 Birmingham 4081 26.0 
			 St. Clements College 925 Lincolnshire 4609 26.1 
			 All Hallows Catholic School 936 Surrey 5415 26.1 
			 The John Bramston School 881 Essex 5451 26.2 
			 Lordswood Boys' School 330 Birmingham 4057 26.3 
			 Eastbrook Comprehensive School 301 Barking and Dagenham 4023 26.4 
			 St. Peter's School 873 Cambridgeshire 5412 26.4 
			 Audenshaw School 357 Tameside 5400 26.4 
			 Walderslade Girls' School 887 Medway 4167 26.4 
			 Kirkby College 891 Nottinghamshire 4008 26.4 
			 Sir John Talbot's Technology College 893 Shropshire 4502 26.5 
			 Roseberry Sports and Community College 840 Durham 4042 26.5 
			 De La Salle Catholic High School 341 Liverpool 4795 26.5 
			 St. John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School 887 Medway 5436 26.6 
			 Thomas Becket Catholic School 928 Northamptonshire 4703 26.7 
			 Devizes School 865 Wiltshire 5411 26.9 
			 Savio High School 343 Sefton 4611 26.9 
			 Oakmead College of Technology 837 Bournemouth 4189 27.0 
			 King Edward VI High School 860 Staffordshire 4181 27.0 
			 The King's Academy 806 Middlesbrough 6906 27.0 
			 Larkmead School 931 Oxfordshire 4125 27.1 
			 Maltby Comprehensive School 372 Rotherham 4015 27.2 
			 The George Ward School 865 Wiltshire 4013 27.2 
			 St. Michael's Church of England High School 343 Sefton 4802 27.2 
			 Helenswood School 845 East Sussex 4055 27.3 
			 Onslow St. Audrey's School 919 Hertfordshire 4154 27.5 
			 Ripon College 815 North Yorkshire 4203 27.5 
			 Woolston Community High School 877 Warrington 4204 276 
			 The Academy at Peckham 210 Southwark 6906 27.6 
			 The Sydney Russell School 301 Barking and Dagenham 4028 27.7 
			 George Dixon International School and Sixth Form Centre 330 Birmingham 5412 27.7 
			 Eastwood Comprehensive School 891 Nottinghamshire 4201 27.7 
			 Greensward College 881 Essex 5435 27.8 
			 Brymore School 933 Somerset 5401 27.8 
			 St. Peter's High School 881 Essex 4290 27.9 
			 Trinity School 869 West Berkshire 4055 28.0 
			 Padgate Community High School 877 Warrington 4218 28.0 
			 Bridgewater High School 877 Warrington 4229 28.1 
			 Banbury School 931 Oxfordshire 4021 28.1 
			 Moseley SchoolA Language College 330 Birmingham 4245 28.1 
			 St. Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, Rochdale 354 Rochdale 4612 28.1 
			 Seaton Burn CollegeA Specialist Business and Enterprise School 392 North Tyneside 4041 28.1 
			 The Business Academy Bexley 303 Bexley 6905 28.1 
			 Noel-Baker Community School and Language College 831 Derby 5407 28.3 
			 Queen Elizabeth's Mercian School 860 Staffordshire 4115 28.3 
			 The Holgate Comprehensive School 891 Nottinghamshire 4429 28.4 
			 Hartsdown Technology College 886 Kent 4172 28.4 
			 Vermuyden School 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 4007 28.4 
			 Hillcrest SchoolA Specialist Maths and Computing College and Sixth Form Centre 330 Birmingham 4012 28.4 
			 The Manor School 891 Nottinghamshire 4032 28.6 
			 Barr's Hill School and Community College 331 Coventry 4000 28.6 
			 Wardle High School 354 Rochdale 5400 28.8 
			 Millom School 909 Cumbria 4204 28.8 
			 Southfield Technology College 909 Cumbria 4311 28.8 
			 Montsaye Community College 928 Northamptonshire 4015 28.9 
			 The Arnewood School 850 Hampshire 5402 29.0 
			 Boundstone Community College 938 West Sussex 4042 29.1 
			 Pool Hayes Community School 335 Walsall 4106 29.1 
			 Waseley Hills High School and Sixth Form Centre 885 Worcestershire 4044 29.1 
			 Bay House School 850 Hampshire 5408 29.2 
			 William Bradford Community College 855 Leicestershire 4059 29.2 
			 Northolt High School 307 Ealing 5404 29.2 
			 Garth Hill College 867 Bracknell Forest 4059 29.2 
			 Reading Girls' School 870 Reading 5400 29.2 
			 Sneyd Community School 335 Walsall 4107 29.3 
			 Darlaston Community Science College 335 Walsall 4100 29.3 
			 Ralph Thoresby High School Community Arts College 383 Leeds 4062 29.3 
			 Charles Burrell High School 926 Norfolk 4048 29.3 
			 Campsmount Technology College 371 Doncaster 4036 29.4 
			 Culverhay School 800 Bath and North East Somerset 4108 29.4 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. Includes only those schools with a sixth form. (2) Full-time pupils in national curriculum year group 11 as at January 2006 who attend the same school in national curriculum year group 12 or above as at January 2007 expressed as a percentage of those pupils in year group 11.  Source:  National Pupil Database

Further Education

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of people aged  (a) 16,  (b) 17 and  (c) 18 were in (i) education, (ii) training, (iii) employment and (iv) none of the above in each year since 1995;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of 15-year-old secondary school leavers left school for  (a) employment,  (b) further education,  (c) employer-funded training,  (d) work based learning,  (e) other education and training and  (f) inactivity in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The figures provided in this answer are for individuals at academic age 16, 17 and 18(1). Participation is broken down by: full-time education; work based learning (WBL); employer funded training (EFT); other education and training (OET); not in any education or trainingin employment; not in any education, employment or training (NEET). There will also be those that are in a category, e.g. full-time education, and also in employment.
	Information on destinations of school leavers does not exist in this form. The tables for 16-year-old participation show the activities of all young people in the year following the end of compulsory schooling.
	These figures are available in the Statistical First Release published by the Department in SFR 22/2007, please see the following web link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/8fr22_2007.pdf.
	(1) Academic age is the age of the individual measured at the beginning of the academic year, 31 August.
	 Definitions
	WBL for young people comprises advanced apprenticeships, apprenticeships, entry to employment (E2E) and NVQ learning.
	EFT covers employees who have received training in the past four weeks; these figures are restricted to training other than WBL. It will include non-WBL apprentices and others on long and short term training programmes, but exclude those who have previously received training in their current job, though not in the last four weeks. It covers only young people who are in employment.
	OET covers young people who are studying but are not included in other categories. For example: those attending independent colleges or training centres; at any college in part-time study not reported as released from a job; or receiving training in part-time education but not currently employed.

Further Education: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the annual cost of bringing per capita funding of pupils aged 16 to 18 years old in further education colleges in line with funding levels in secondary schools.

Jim Knight: Following a consultation earlier this year the Learning and Skills Council will introduce, from 2008/09, a new, common funding methodology for all 16 to 18-year-old learners. This will ensure that comparable funding is offered for comparable activity, irrespective of the type of institution providing the education and training to the learner.
	Per capita funding for pupils aged 16 to 18 years old is at a broadly comparable level in school sixth forms and further education colleges. In 2005-06 per capita funding for full time equivalent 16, 17 and 18-year-old learners in further education colleges was 5,000. In 2006-07 we estimate this will rise to 5,100 but this will not be confirmed until final student numbers are available later in the year.
	For 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in school sixth forms the level of funding per pupil was 4,900 in 2005-06, this rose to 5,200 in 2006-07.
	Funding figures for school sixth forms and colleges are not directly comparable as a range of factors affects them including the mix of provision offered, achievement and retention levels and the location in which the provider is based. It is also impossible to get an entirely accurate full-time equivalent learner figure for college students whereas for schools, as almost all pupils study full-time in sixth forms, the pupil count is precise.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of GCSE students achieved  (a) five GCSEs at A-C and  (b) English and mathematics GCSEs at A-C since 1995-96; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage of 15-year-old pupils achieving (a) 5 or more GCSE at grades A*-C and (b) English and Mathematics GCSE at grades A*-C since 1996 
			   Percentage of 15-year-olds( 1)  obtaining 5 or more GCSEs at A*-C  Percentage of 15-year-olds( 1)  obtaining an A*-C at both English and Maths GCSE 
			 1996 45 35 
			 1997 46 37 
			 1998 48 38 
			 1999 49 40 
			 2000 50 41 
			 2001 52 42 
			 2002 53 43 
			 2003 54 43 
			 2004(2) 54 44 
			 2005 56 46 
			 2006 59 47 
			 (1) Aged 15 at the beginning of the academic year, i.e. 31 August. (2) Percentages from 2004 onwards include GCSEs and equivalents. 
		
	
	Standards in secondary schools have risen dramatically since 1996. Record numbers of pupils are now achieving five good GCSEs.
	Over 91,000 more pupils achieved five good GCSEs last year compared with 1996 and 78,000 more achieved five good GCSEs including English and maths compared with 1996.
	This is as a result of a number of factors, including: challenge and support through the secondary National Strategy; swift and targeted intervention to tackle school failure; more effective use of data by schools and local authorities, helping to track and monitor the progress of pupils; and a system within which schools and local authorities are setting ambitious targets for their pupils.
	The new secondary curriculum, to be introduced from 2008, will raise standards further still. Less prescription will allow for more time in the school day to concentrate on English and maths, particularly where pupils are struggling with literacy and numeracy. It will also allow schools to personalise learning in order to make teaching more engaging.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Gender

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of  (a) girls and  (b) boys gained five GCSEs at grade A to C in each year since 1987-88; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage of 15-year-old( 1)  girls and boys gaining five GCSEs at grades A*- C at GCSE since 1988 
			   Percentage achieving 5 or more grades A*-C( 2) 
			   Boys  Girls  Total 
			 1988 29.8 35.8 32.8 
			 1989 30.8 38.4 34.5 
			 1990 33.3 40.3 36.8 
			 1991 34.1 42.7 38.3 
			 1992 36.8 45.8 41.2 
			 1993 39.1 47.8 43.3 
			 1994 39.0 48.1 43.5 
			 1995 39.9 49.4 44.5 
			 1996 40.5 50.0 45.1 
			 1997 41.3 51.5 46.3 
			 1998 42.8 53.4 47.9 
			 1999 44.0 54.6 49.2 
			 2000 44.8 55.4 50.0 
			 2001 46.4 57.0 51.6 
			 2002 47.9 58.2 52.9 
			 2003 48.7 58.8 53.7 
			 2004 48.8 58.8 53.7 
			 2005 51.4 61.4 56.3 
			 2006 53.8 63.4 58.5 
			 (1 )Aged 15 on the 31 August. (2 )Percentages from 2004 onwards include GCSEs and equivalents. 
		
	
	A statement regarding the differences in educational attainment between boys and girls was provided in the reply to question 149080.

Primary Education: Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many primary schools in each local education authority area primarily occupy buildings built before 1930.

Jim Knight: It is not possible, on the basis of data received from local education authorities on the ages of buildings, to assess numbers of primary schools primarily occupying buildings built before 1930.
	Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under 700 million in 1996-97 to 6.4 billion in 2007-08 and will rise further to 8.0 billion by 2010-11. Progress is being made year-by-year in improving the quality of the school building stock.

Primary Education: Standards

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils attained  (a) level 2 or above,  (b) level 2A or above and  (c) level 3 or above in the key stage 1 assessments in (i) mathematics, (ii) reading and (iii) writing in each year between 1995 and 2007.

Jim Knight: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  National curriculum : key stage 1: pupil achievements in key stage 1 all schools: England, 1995 to 2007( 1) 
			   Number of pupils achieving  Percentage of pupils achieving 
			   Level 2 or above  Level 2A or above  Level 3 or above  Level 2 or above  Level 2A or above  Level 3 or above 
			  Reading   
			 1995 466,500  199,600 78  33 
			 1996 464,600  176,600 78  30 
			 1997 489,500  160,300 80  26 
			 1998 500,800 265,700 163,600 80 42 26 
			 1999 513,000 282,500 184,300 82 45 29 
			 2000 504,600 282,500 168,900 83 47 28 
			 2001 505,700 289,800 174,400 84 48 29 
			 2002 495,700 285,700 177,200 84 49 30 
			 2003 487,900 281,400 162,200 84 49 28 
			 2004(2) 499,100 293,700 168,000 85 50 29 
			 2005(3) 484,800 282,200 153,500 85 50 27 
			 2006 474,500 273,900 143,800 84 49 26 
			 2007(4) 457,900 270,800 141,200 84 50 26 
			
			  Writing   
			 1995 477,300  88,200 80  15 
			 1996 474,600  36,700 79  6 
			 1997 490,200  36,900 80  6 
			 1998 507,800 139,300 45,200 81 22 7 
			 1999 519,600 156,200 51,000 83 25 8 
			 2000 511,000 163,200 53,400 84 27 9 
			 2001 515,800 170,600 57,100 86 28 9 
			 2002 506,100 170,800 55,800 86 29 9 
			 2003 471,000 217,000 93,400 81 37 16 
			 2004(2) 480,900 217,000 93,500 82 37 16 
			 2005(3) 469,200 201,600 85,800 82 35 15 
			 2006 457,300 192,400 78,300 81 34 14 
			 2007(4) 439,000 176,200 68,900 80 32 13 
			
			  Mathematics   
			 1995 470,700  116,200 79  19 
			 1996 491,500  114,300 82  19 
			 1997 512,700  124,400 84  20 
			 1998 529,000 233,700 118,400 84 37 19 
			 1999 544,000 261,400 134,000 87 42 21 
			 2000 542,900 303,700 153,000 90 50 25 
			 2001 546,100 307,000 166,700 91 51 28 
			 2002 531,900 332,400 184,200 90 56 31 
			 2003 523,300 313,400 169,400 90 54 29 
			 2004(2) 531,500 311,800 165,700 90 53 28 
			 2005(3) 518,000 285,200 130,400 91 50 23 
			 2006 507,300 274,500 120,400 90 49 21 
			 2007(4) 491,400 270,300 120,400 90 49 22 
			 (1) Numbers rounded to the nearest 100, percentages to 0 decimal places. (2 )The figures for 2004 are derived from combining task/test results for non trial schools and teacher assessment results for trial schools. (3 )Due to a change in policy the figures for 2005 onwards are taken from teacher assessment results. (4 )The 2007 analysis is taken from provisional data.  Note: Fine grading at level 2 did exist in 1995, 1996 and 1997 but these data are not easily assessable.

Pupil Mobility Rate

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average pupil mobility rate was in schools in  (a) England and  (b) each English local authority area in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006.

Jim Knight: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pupils

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in England and Wales were in school years  (a) six and  (b) 11 in each year since 1995.

Jim Knight: The information available is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Pupils( 1)  in all schools( 2)  aged 10 and 15 at the start of the academic year 
			   Aged 10  Aged 15 
			   England  Wales  England and Wales  England  Wales  England and Wales 
			 1996/97 616,160 37,800 653,960 587,050 36,050 623,100 
			 1997/98 630,810 38,770 669,590 575,770 35,770 611,530 
			 1998/99 650,710 39,800 690,510 581,260 35,550 616,800 
			 1999/2000 643,550 38,730 682,280 581,900 35,590 617,490 
			 2000/01 653,450 39,090 692,540 605,340 37,170 642,520 
			 2001/02 660,450 39,470 699,920 608,780 37,120 645,900 
			 2002/03 656,500 38,990 695,480 624,190 38,000 662,190 
			 2003/04 632,980 37,570 670,550 645,050 39,220 684,270 
			 2004/05 632,380 37,060 669,440 638,690 38,500 677,190 
			 2005/06 618,830 36,050 654,890 650,300 38,880 689,190 
			 2006/07 610,700 35,520 646,220 656,720 39,640 696,360 
			 (1) Full-time and part-time pupils. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Includes maintained and non-maintained (including independent schools, CTCs and academies) schools.  Source: Education and Training Statistics for the United Kingdom; Welsh Assembly Government

Pupils: Autism

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what representations he has received on cases where schoolchildren have been categorised as having fabricated and induced illness but where it has transpired that the symptoms giving rise to this concern were the result of the child being on the autistic spectrum.

Jim Knight: The Secretary of State has recently received a letter from Autism Consultancy Services which, among much else, mentions the issue of the parents of autistic children being scrutinised unnecessarily for conditions such as Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy.
	In 2002 the Government published their guidance 'Safeguarding children in whom illness is fabricated or induced: Supplementary guidance to Working Together to Safeguard Children'. In view of the controversy concerning the term Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy the guidance refers only to cases of 'fabricated or induced illness', specifically where such behaviour constitutes an abusive act against a child. The National Autistic Society made representations to officials and Ministers at the Department of Health on the text of the draft guidance and said that the Society was content with the final text. It included advice on the importance of clarifying the contributing factors and identifying any underlying conditions which may play a part in the developmental delay of children who have been identified as having illness fabricated or induced.

Pupils: Fingerprints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools in England have the ability to collect and hold fingerprint data for pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We have no information on the number of schools with the ability to collect and hold fingerprint data for pupils. There is no requirement for schools to inform the Department when they introduce any biometric technology systems. The systems used in schools collect and hold data generated from fingerprints but not images of fingerprints themselves.

Pupils: Fingerprints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many fingerprints have been collected of pupils in English schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Fingerprints are not collected in schools only algorithmic data generated by them. There is no requirement for schools to inform the Department when they introduce any biometric technology system.

Pupils: Fingerprints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance has been given to schools on collecting and holding fingerprint data for pupils.

Jim Knight: On behalf of the Department, Becta, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, issued guidance for head teachers, governors and parents on 23 July. This guidance can be found on the Becta website at:
	http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=lvcatcode=ss_Iv_saf_dp_03rid=14160.

Pupils: Qualifications

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1127W, on pupils: qualifications, where on the National Database of Accredited Qualifications website the number of qualifications included in the secondary school (GCSE and equivalent) performance tables that are considered to be equivalent to  (a) three,  (b) four and  (c) five or more GCSEs are.

Jim Knight: The National Database of Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ) website at www.ndaq.org.uk provides an up to date list of all approved qualifications for the GCSE and equivalent achievement and attainment tables. For each qualification, the contribution made to the level 1 and level 2 thresholds within the tables can be found by clicking the 'Performance Figures' link under the qualification's description. A qualification with a contribution of at least 60 per cent. is equivalent to three or more GCSEs. The exact number of qualifications treated as equivalent to three, four and five or more GCSEs can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Runaway Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will include a requirement to collect information relating to the safeguarding of runaway and missing children in his review of the public service agreement indicators.

Beverley Hughes: A new national indicator on young people who have run away from home or care overnight is included in the national indicators that will underpin the new performance framework for local authorities. This was published on 11 October 2007.
	We are considering a number of different options to gather data on young runaways in connection with the new indicator, working closely with the Home Office, the police, local authorities and The Children's Society.

Schools: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to give schools complete control over non-selective admissions policy.

Jim Knight: Through the Education and Inspections Act we have provided a framework for giving more freedoms to an increased number of schools. This includes more schools, both selective and non-selective, being able to set their own admission policies following local consultation.
	However, this is in the context of a robust system of checks and balances. All admission authorities, whether local authorities or school governing bodies, must act in accordance with the mandatory provisions of the new School Admissions Code, which rules out unfair practices and criteria. We have also extended the circumstances in which objections to admission arrangements can be made to the schools adjudicator, whose decisions are binding for up to three years. This will ensure that school admission arrangements provide fair access for every child regardless of their background.

Schools: Community Relations

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which person or body is responsible for promoting community cohesion within schools;
	(2)  who is responsible for monitoring and assessing the degree to which schools are achieving the objective of community cohesion.

Jim Knight: The Education and Inspections Act 2006 placed a new duty on maintained schools in England to promote community cohesion. The duty came into effect from 1 September 2007. Ofsted will report on the contribution made by the school to community cohesion from September 2008, to give schools time to embed the duty within their institution.
	The duty applies to the governing body of a maintained school in England. We published guidance in July on how schools can build on what is happening already in light of the new duty. Within each school, it is for the governing body and senior management team to discharge the duty to promote community cohesion as part of its leadership and management role, leading the school and involving the school work force and pupils in the promotion of community cohesion.

Schools: Floods

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of schools that were flooded in England in June and July 2007.

Jim Knight: According to information received from local authorities in the areas hit by the floods, a total of 857 schools were damaged by the floods: 467 in June and 390 in July.

Schools: Governing Bodies

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the increase has been in parental representation on school governing bodies since the introduction of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

Jim Knight: The Department does not routinely collect information on the composition of the governing bodies of maintained schools. However, parents must comprise at least one third of the places on the governing bodies of all maintained schools in England.

Schools: Health Hazards

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of health and safety implications of the use of interactive whiteboards in classrooms.

Jim Knight: Becta provides the DCSF and subsequently schools and local authorities with appropriate guidance on the health and safety implications of using interactive whiteboard technologies. Re-assessment of the value of the guidance is regularly undertaken however guidance must be based upon current information provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Becta maintains close links with these organisations to ensure that this guidance remains up to date.

Schools: Injuries

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school-related injuries were recorded as requiring outside medical attention in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: Employers must report to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) injuries to staff causing death or absence from work for more than three days, and injuries to members of the public causing death or for which the injured person was taken to hospital from the site of the accident. The HSE has supplied the data for the education sector set out in the following tables.
	Injuries in school not reportable to the HSE which may require attention by, for example, a GP, are normally recorded in school accident books and my Department does not hold information on such injuries.
	As the footnotes to the tables explain, the reported figures in later years (from 2003-04) are based on different methods of data collection and should not be taken as indicating any trends, such as an apparent steep decline in pupil injuries from 2002-03 to 2003-04. Footnote 6 reflects the HSE's view that the increased figures for 2005-06 may be due to changes in reporting practice.
	The tables from the HSE include fatalities and injuries reported during educational visits in Great Britain. School employers are not required to report overseas incidents to the HSE. My Department receives information about these, and our records indicate that 11 pupils from English schools suffered fatal injuries while on an educational visit abroad between 1996 and 2006.
	One pupil was fatally wounded in an English school by another pupil in 2003. The HSE figures, which relate to incidents arising out of or in connection with work, do not include this.
	
		
			  All workers 
			   Fatal injury  Non-fatal major injury  Over-3-day injury  All reported injuries 
			 1996-97 2 948 2,495 3,445 
			 1997-98  939 2,669 3,608 
			 1998-99  909 2,536 3,445 
			 1999-2000  852 2,631 3,483 
			 2000-01 1 879 2,571 3,451 
			 2001-02  848 2,241 3,089 
			 2002-03  764 2,298 3,062 
			 2003-044 1 433 754 1,188 
			 2004-05  389 682 1,071 
			 2005-06 1 390 753 1,144 
			 Total 5 7,351 19,630 26,986 
		
	
	
		
			  Injuries to members of the public( 1)  in schools( 2)  in England, as reported to HSE( 3)  1996-97 to 2005-06 
			   Occupation( 4)  Fatal injury  Non-fatal injury  All reported injuries 
			 1996-97 School pupil/student 4 11,508 11,512 
			  Other public 1 383 384 
			 1997-98 School pupil/student 1 9,447 9,448 
			  Other public 1 370 371 
			 1998-99 School pupil/student 3 7,132 7,135 
			  Other public 1 378 379 
			 1999-2000 School pupil/student 1 6,003 6,004 
			  Other public 1 323 324 
			 2000-01 School pupil/student 3 4,768 4,771 
			  Other public  397 397 
			 2001-02 School pupil/student  1,968 1,968 
			  Other public 1 443 444 
			 2002-03 School pupil/student 2 1,919 1,921 
			  Other public 1 195 196 
			 2003-04(5) School pupil/student 2 862 864 
			  Other public  56 56 
			 2004-05 School pupil/student 1 837 838 
			  Other public  71 71 
			 2005-06(6) School pupil/student 1 3,124 3,125 
			  Other public  180 180 
			 Grand total  24 50,364 50,388 
			 (1) Injuries are reported and defined under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. The information available under RIDDOR 95 includes two categories of severity for members of the public: fatal injuries and non-fatal injuries that cause a person to be taken from the site of the accident to hospital. (2) Schools are identified using Standard Industrial Classification 1992 (SIC92) codes 80100 'Primary education', 80200 'Secondary education' and 80210 'General secondary education'. (3) The Health and Safety Executives Field Operations Directorate is the responsible enforcing authority for health and safety in the education sector. (4) Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 1990 and 2000). There are four occupation categories for members of the public: Member of the public; School pupil/student; Patient under medical or residential care; and Prisoner. (5) In 2003-04 there was a change to the employer database against which HSE non-fatal injury reports are assigned. This affected the spread of non-fatal injury numbers by industry. The change was particularly marked in the education sector. As a result injury figures prior to 2003-04 cannot be compared with more recent data for this industry group. In essence, they are two separate series. Until more data are available on the new basis, an accurate assessment of a long-term trend cannot be made. (6) In 2005-06 there was a change of procedures within the HSE, which may mean that some injuries previously recorded under the category of 'public administration' will now be recorded as 'education'. An increase in the number of sports injuries may also reflect an increase in reporting rather than just an increase in the number of such injuries.

Schools: Offensive Weapons

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many incidents there were in schools involving the use of  (a) knives and  (b) firearms in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Concerning the number of incidents in schools involving knives, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to questions 151219, 151220, 151232 and 151233 of 26 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1406-07W, which provides a table covering the period from 1999 to 2005 supplied by the Ministry of Justice. There is no comparable table for firearms carried in schools since there is no offence specific to schools. But schools are very safe places. The huge majority of pupils never wrongfully carry a knife in school let alone use one; and firearms in school are not an issue in this regard. Schools can screen pupils using metal detectors; they may also, if they wish, search without consent any pupil they suspect of carrying a weapon.

Schools: Private Finance Initiative

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of total expenditure on outstanding private finance initiative transactions relating to schools and early years for each year from 2007-08 to 2020-21; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Information on all signed private finance initiative contracts, including balance sheet treatment and future unitary charges, is included in HM Treasury's PFI signed projects list, which is available through
	www.hm.treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private_partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.
	The information covers the unitary charge payment projections up to 2033-34. (A unitary charge can frequently include capital repayments, service provision, inflation and major refurbishment).
	This is a working document containing information on current signed PFI projects. It is updated on a six-monthly basis to reflect the updates HM Treasury receives from Departments at Budget and pre-Budget report.

Schools: Religious Sects

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the offering of grants to organisations against which there have been allegations of cultish behaviour to support their activities in schools. with particular regards to  (a) Friends of the Western Buddhist Order,  (b) new Kadampa Tradition and  (c) Soka Gakkai International; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has offered no grants to:  (a) Friends of the Western Buddhist Order,  (b) new Kadampa Tradition and  (c) Soka Gakkai International.
	All Government Departments follow stringent procedures, seek appropriate references and use independent assessors to examine the constitutions and financial records/accounts of all organisations before they make any recommendations for funding.

Schools: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  if he will extend the freedoms available to academies to all state schools which meet minimum performance criteria; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 287-88W, on academies, if he will extend to all schools the freedoms available to academies; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Academies are independent state schools that have additional freedoms to help them implement innovative approaches to combating the impact of deprivation on educational attainment and to break the cycle of underachievement and low aspirations that afflicts too many of our communities.
	Although the vast majority are established with the full agreement of the relevant local authority, academies are not maintained by them; academies are not bound by the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document; they have enjoyed additional freedoms relating to the national curriculum (though this has, as a whole, been made more flexible to accommodate the kind of innovation that academies have enjoyed, and since July, new Academy Funding Agreements have required them to follow the National Curriculum Programmes of Study in English, maths, science and ICT); and although, like other state-funded schools, academies have stakeholder governors, in order to determine the ethos and leadership of the academy and ensure clear responsibility and accountability, the lead sponsor will always appoint the majority of governors to an academy governing body.
	My Department has no plans to extend these freedoms more widely. However, where there is a clear case for doing so, additional freedoms may be allowed to other state funded schools through the Power to Innovate. This allows the Secretary of State for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to suspend or modify education legislation that may be holding back, or even stopping, innovative approaches to raising standards.
	Schools, colleges of further education, local authorities or trusts (acting on behalf of trust schools) may apply for a time-limited order to allow the testing of an innovative idea that has the potential to improve outcomes for pupils and students.
	There are no preconceptions about the kind of ideas that could be supported. Since introduction in 2002, the power has been used in a diverse range of innovative projectsfrom testing 'virtual' governance, to allowing a group of schools to introduce a transitional sixth form for those pupils unlikely to be in education, training or employment after completing year 11. Power to Innovate inquiries have also prompted changes to general legislation, for example enabling schools to offer HE foundation modules.

Schools: Standards

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in Greater London are in special measures.

Jim Knight: The following table lists the schools in Greater London that are currently in special measures. It also shows the unique reference number, phase, local authority and the date each school was placed in the category by Ofsted. The list shows the position on 10 October 2007.
	
		
			  URN  School name  LA area  Phase  Date of inspection 
			 101221 Valence Junior School Barking and Dagenham Primary 12 October 2006 
			 133364 Pardes House Primary School Barnet Primary 19 October 2006 
			 101309 Chalgrove Primary School Barnet Primary 19 October 2006 
			 101556 Kilburn Park School Foundation Brent Primary 21 March 2006 
			 101521 The Stonebridge School Brent Primary 13 June 2006 
			 101609 Oaklands Junior School Bromley Primary 21 March 2007 
			 101889 John Perryn Primary School Ealing Primary 12 July 2006 
			 101914 Hathaway Primary School Ealing Primary 25 May 2007 
			 101992 Garfield Primary School Enfield Primary 6 October 2006 
			 102011 Houndsfield Primary School Enfield Primary 8 February 2007 
			 102046 Aylward School Enfield Secondary 11 May 2006 
			 100230 London Fields Primary School Hackney Primary 26 March 2007 
			 102654 Gorringe Park Primary School Merton Primary 2 November 2006 
			 102725 Keir Hardie Primary School Newham Primary 2 November 2006 
			 102764 St. James' CE Junior School Newham Primary 22 February 2007 
			 100817 Eveline Lowe Primary School Southwark Primary 22 February 2007 
			 100839 St. Peter's CE Primary School Southwark Primary 11 July 2007 
			 100847 Geoffrey Chaucer Technical College Southwark Secondary 24 November 2005 
			 103071 The Beaumont School Waltham Forest Primary 9 January 2007 
			 101148 Pimlico School Westminster Secondary 23 November 2006 
		
	
	The number of Greater London schools in special measures has reduced from 26 on 1 September 2005 to the current figure of 20. The number of secondary schools in the category has reduced from seven to three during the same period.

Secondary Education

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many secondary school places were maintained in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The Department collects information from each local authority (LA) on the number of school places maintained via an annual survey. The earliest data available are for 1998 and the most recent are for 2006. The number of school places was not collected in 2002 to allow for a change in the method of assessing school capacity.
	Currently, the number of school places is calculated using the net capacity method of assessment which was introduced in 2003. Up to 2001 the capacity of a school was calculated using the MOE (More Open Enrolment) method. The following table shows the number of maintained secondary school places calculated by the net capacity method of assessment between 2003 and 2006 and the MOE method between 1998 and 2001.
	
		
			  Secondary school places 
			   Number of maintained places( 1) 
			 2006 3,484,883 
			 2005 3,468,525 
			 2004 3,468,561 
			 2003 3,455,993 
			 2001 3,356,438 
			 2000 3,349,632 
			 1999 3,341,183 
			 1998 3,274,034 
			 (1) Number of places relate to position as at January.  Source: Surplus Places Survey

Secondary Education: Teaching Methods

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of the proportion of secondary school pupils in England who are taught in classes with  (a) setting,  (b) streaming and (c) no setting or streaming; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 25 July 2007:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	You asked for the latest estimate of the proportion of secondary school pupils in England who are taught in classes with (a) setting, (b) streaming, and (c) no setting or streaming.
	Ofsted data on the use of streaming and setting are based on lessons observed during inspections. Since September 2005, under section 5 inspection arrangements, the recording of class organisation has been based either on discussions with the headteacher or teacher or by reference to the lesson plan at the time of observation. Whereas with section 10 arrangements all full-time teachers were observed by inspectors, under section 5 inspections this is not likely to be the case. Under section 5 inspections, a much smaller number of lessons is observed than would have been seen under the section 10 framework; and the lessons they see are not necessarily representative of the pupil grouping in the school as a whole. Retrieval from the lesson observation data would not therefore allow us to estimate what proportion of pupils nationally is taught in mixed ability or setted/streamed classes.
	Lessons are recorded as being setted/streamed, mixed ability or otherwise organised. For clarity, setting is the term used to describe the organisation of pupils in classes on the basis of their prior attainment in the particular subject being taught. The term banding, which is very similar to streaming, is used when the decision as to which pupils are included or not in a class is based on the prior attainment in a range of subjects.
	Although I am unable to answer the particular question you have raised, I have set out overleaf the data Ofsted has on the proportion of lessons observed in secondary schools during 2006/07 which were taught in setted/streamed and in mixed ability classes.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Sixth Form Colleges

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 26 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1413W, on sixth form colleges, how many new sixth form colleges were  (a) established,  (b) closed and  (c) merged with other institutions in each of the last 10 years; and what steps his Department is taking to promote the establishment of new sixth form colleges.

Jim Knight: The number of sixth form colleges that were established, closed and merged in each of the last 10 years is as follows:
	 Sixth Form Colleges Established Since 1997:
	 1998
	Bolton Sixth Form College(1)
	 2001
	Brooke House Sixth Form College
	 2002
	Longley Park Sixth Form College
	(1) Established as a result of merger involving North Bolton College  South College Bolton
	 Sixth Form Colleges Closed and Merged Since 1997 (no colleges have simply been closed):
	 1997
	South Park Sixth Form College
	 1998
	Clarendon College
	North Bolton College
	South College, Bolton
	 1999
	York Sixth Form College
	High Pavement Sixth Form College
	Arnold and Carlton College
	 2000
	Phoenix College
	The Rutland College
	 2001
	Rowley Regis College
	Shena Simon College
	 2003
	Park Sixth Form College
	 2005
	Tynemouth College
	Haywards Heath College
	 2006
	North Area College
	Josiah Mason Sixth Form College
	Widnes and Runcorn Sixth Form College
	 2007
	Spelthorne Sixth Form College
	Farnham Sixth Form College
	We want to encourage a strong and growing Sixth Form College sector; Sixth Form Colleges generally are successful, high achieving and popular with students and parents. The White Paper 'Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances' (Cm 6768) includes our undertaking to expand the sector. New Sixth Form Colleges will be considered as one option where the Learning and Skills Council runs a competition for new 16-19 places. Following a competition in Rochdale, proposals for a new Sixth Form College are now being developed by the Rochdale Education Partnership working with the Learning and Skills Council. The 'FE presumption', under which high performing colleges are able to expand in order to deliver Diplomas, will provide capital grant for new provision at eligible Sixth Form Colleges.

Special Educational Needs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained special educational needs schools were operated in each local education authority in England in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Data on the number of maintained special educational needs schools that were operated in each local education authority in England in 1996-97 and 2006-07, are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Number of LA Maintained Special Schools, by Local Authority Area and Government Office Region in England( 1) 
			   January 1997 
			  England 1,153 
			   
			  North East 71 
			 Hartlepool 3 
			 Middlesbrough 5 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 5 
			 Former Durham 13 
			 Northumberland 9 
			 Gateshead 6 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 10 
			 North Tyneside 5 
			 South Tyneside 5 
			 Sunderland 8 
			   
			  North West 198 
			 Former Cheshire 20 
			 Cumbria 5 
			 Bolton 6 
			 Bury 4 
			 Manchester 22 
			 Oldham 7 
			 Rochdale 7 
			 Salford 7 
			 Stockport 6 
			 Tameside 6 
			 Trafford 7 
			 Wigan 9 
			 Former Lancashire 40 
			 Knowsley 8 
			 Liverpool 22 
			 St. Helens 4 
			 Sefton 6 
			 Wirral 12 
			   
			  Yorkshire and Humber 111 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 6 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 5 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2 
			 North Lincolnshire 2 
			 York 4 
			 North Yorkshire 11 
			 Barnsley 3 
			 Doncaster 7 
			 Rotherham 7 
			 Sheffield 15 
			 Bradford 13 
			 Calderdale 3 
			 Kirklees 9 
			 Leeds 14 
			 Wakefield 10 
			   
			  East Midlands 81 
			 Former Derbyshire 17 
			 Former Leicestershire 16 
			 Lincolnshire 19 
			 Former Northamptonshire 12 
			 Former Nottinghamshire 17 
			   
			  West Midlands 142 
			 Former Hereford and Worcester 14 
			 Former Shropshire 7 
			 Former Staffordshire 29 
			 Warwickshire 12 
			 Birmingham 31 
			 Coventry 11 
			 Dudley 7 
			 Sandwell 12 
			 Solihull 5 
			 Walsall 8 
			 Wolverhampton 6 
			   
			  East of England 109 
			 Former Bedfordshire 12 
			 Former Cambridgeshire 16 
			 Former Essex 32 
			 Hertfordshire 27 
			 Norfolk 12 
			 Suffolk 10 
			   
			  London 162 
			  Inner London 78 
			 City of London 0 
			 Camden 6 
			 Hackney 6 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6 
			 Haringey 5 
			 Islington 5 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2 
			 Lambeth 8 
			 Lewisham 7 
			 Newham 3 
			 Southwark 9 
			 Tower Hamlets 8 
			 Wandsworth 11 
			 Westminster 2 
			  Outer London 84 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1 
			 Barnet 4 
			 Bexley 4 
			 Brent 5 
			 Bromley 3 
			 Croydon 6 
			 Ealing 7 
			 Enfield 6 
			 Greenwich 8 
			 Harrow 4 
			 Havering 3 
			 Hillingdon 6 
			 Hounslow 5 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 3 
			 Merton 4 
			 Redbridge 4 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 3 
			 Sutton 3 
			 Waltham Forest 5 
			   
			  South East 183 
			 Berkshire 12 
			 Former Buckinghamshire 21 
			 Former East Sussex 18 
			 Former Hampshire 43 
			 Isle of Wight 2 
			 Former Kent 34 
			 Oxfordshire 14 
			 Surrey 24 
			 West Sussex 15 
			   
			  South West 96 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 5 
			 City of Bristol 11 
			 North Somerset 4 
			 South Gloucestershire 5 
			 Cornwall 4 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 
			 Former Devon 21 
			 Former Dorset 8 
			 Gloucestershire 17 
			 Somerset 8 
			 Former Wiltshire 13 
			 (1) Not all authorities can be directly compared as there has been some local government reorganisation between 1997 and 2007. 
		
	
	
		
			   January 2007 
			  England 1,006 
			   
			  North East 61 
			 Hartlepool 2 
			 Middlesbrough 4 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 4 
			 Durham 10 
			 Darlington 1 
			 Northumberland 8 
			 Gateshead 6 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 5 
			 North Tyneside 5 
			 South Tyneside 6 
			 Sunderland 7 
			   
			  North West 167 
			 Cheshire 14 
			 Halton 4 
			 Warrington 3 
			 Cumbria 5 
			 Bolton 6 
			 Bury 3 
			 Manchester 14 
			 Oldham 3 
			 Rochdale 6 
			 Salford 5 
			 Stockport 6 
			 Tameside 5 
			 Trafford 6 
			 Wigan 8 
			 Lancashire 32 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 4 
			 Blackpool 3 
			 Knowsley 7 
			 Liverpool 13 
			 St. Helens 3 
			 Sefton 5 
			 Wirral 12 
			   
			  Yorkshire and Humber 85 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 3 
			 Kingston-Upon-Hull, City of 6 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2 
			 North Lincolnshire 2 
			 York 2 
			 North Yorkshire 11 
			 Barnsley 1 
			 Doncaster 7 
			 Rotherham 7 
			 Sheffield 12 
			 Bradford 11 
			 Calderdale 3 
			 Kirklees 6 
			 Leeds 6 
			 Wakefield 6 
			   
			  East Midlands 81 
			 Derbyshire 10 
			 Derby 5 
			 Leicestershire 6 
			 Leicester 8 
			 Lincolnshire 21 
			 Northamptonshire 13 
			 Rutland 1 
			 Nottinghamshire 11 
			 Nottingham 6 
			   
			  West Midlands 123 
			 Herefordshire 4 
			 Worcestershire 11 
			 Shropshire 2 
			 Telford and Wrekin 4 
			 Staffordshire 23 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 5 
			 Warwickshire 9 
			 Birmingham 27 
			 Coventry 9 
			 Dudley 7 
			 Sandwell 4 
			 Solihull 5 
			 Walsall 6 
			 Wolverhampton 7 
			   
			  East of England 95 
			 Bedfordshire 10 
			 Luton 3 
			 Cambridgeshire 7 
			 Peterborough 3 
			 Essex 19 
			 Southend-on-Sea 5 
			 Thurrock 2 
			 Hertfordshire 25 
			 Norfolk 12 
			 Suffolk 9 
			   
			  London 144 
			  Inner London 64 
			 City of London 0 
			 Camden 6 
			 Hackney 4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5 
			 Haringey 4 
			 Islington 3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2 
			 Lambeth 5 
			 Lewisham 6 
			 Southwark 9 
			 Tower Hamlets 7 
			 Wandsworth 9 
			 Westminster 2 
			  Outer London 80 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1 
			 Barnet 4 
			 Bexley 5 
			 Brent 5 
			 Bromley 5 
			 Croydon 6 
			 Ealing 6 
			 Enfield 6 
			 Greenwich 4 
			 Harrow 4 
			 Havering 3 
			 Hillingdon 6 
			 Hounslow 5 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 3 
			 Merton 3 
			 Redbridge 4 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 2 
			 Sutton 3 
			 Waltham Forest 5 
			   
			  South East 164 
			 Bracknell Forest 1 
			 Reading 3 
			 Slough 3 
			 West Berkshire 2 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1 
			 Wokingham 2 
			 Buckinghamshire 13 
			 Milton Keynes 6 
			 East Sussex 11 
			 Brighton and Hove 6 
			 Hampshire 26 
			 Portsmouth 5 
			 Southampton 5 
			 Isle of Wight 2 
			 Kent 24 
			 Medway 4 
			 Oxfordshire 14 
			 Surrey 24 
			 West Sussex 12 
			   
			  South West 86 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 3 
			 Bristol, City of 10 
			 North Somerset 3 
			 South Gloucestershire 3 
			 Cornwall 4 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 
			 Devon 10 
			 Plymouth 8 
			 Torbay 3 
			 Dorset 5 
			 Poole 3 
			 Bournemouth 2 
			 Gloucestershire 12 
			 Somerset 8 
			 Wiltshire 6 
			 Swindon 6 
			  Source: School Census.

Teachers: Qualifications

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to raise the minimum standards required to teach in the state-funded sector.

Jim Knight: We have recently reviewed and revised the complete suite of professional standards required of qualified teachers. These began to operate from 1 September 2007 and can be seen at:
	http://www.tda.gov.uk/partners/ittstandards.aspx?keywords=qts+standards
	The new standards clarify the professional characteristics that a teacher should be expected to maintain and to build on at different career stages, and apply equally to experienced teachers and those in training.

Teachers: Sick Leave

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many teachers are on long-term sick leave;
	(2)  how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school teachers were assaulted by a parent in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Teachers: Training

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons mature students born before 1 September 1979 are required to have a GCSE at grade C or above (or recognised equivalent) in science in order to begin initial teacher training; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: All entrants to initial teacher training must have at least a GCSE at grade C in English and mathematics or have reached an equivalent standard. Additionally, those wishing to train to teach in primary schools also need to have a GCSE at grade C in science or to have reached an equivalent standard. This additional requirement is to ensure that non-specialist teachers who teach science in the primary schools have some background knowledge in the subject. This is not required in secondary because science will normally be taught by a specialist.
	Since 1 September 2007 the new Requirements for Initial Teacher Training have applied the science requirement to all primary trainees regardless of their age because we consider it essential that all primary teachers must have the necessary knowledge to teach science to pupils. Prior to this, primary trainees who were born before 1 September 1979 were exempted from the GCSE science requirement because their school days would have been before science in Key Stage 4 became compulsory in the National Curriculum. However, as it is quite possible for people in this category wanting to apply for initial teacher training in primary to study for and pass GCSE at grade C in science or reach an equivalent standard before they do so, and in view of the importance of science teaching in schools, we decided that the previous exemption should be formally discontinued from September 2007.
	The exemption was informally removed in October 2006 to comply with new legislation on age discrimination and in anticipation of the change planned in the Requirements. By this time the vast majority of 2006/07 primary applicants had already been accepted for, or had already begun, their courses and were unaffected. The main change will be for those wishing to pursue primary training from 2007/08.

Teachers: Training

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will assess the effectiveness of the on-line system used by the Graduate Teacher Training Registry, with particular reference to its effectiveness in  (a) processing and  (b) tracking applications.

Jim Knight: The Graduate Teacher Training Registry processes applications for postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses in England, Wales and Scotland. Courses applied for are provided at universities, colleges and school-centred initial teacher training consortia. Applications are made primarily through an on-line system. Over 99 per cent. of applicants use the on-line facility but a paper form is also available. Applicants can track their application throughout the cycle, viewing decisions made by providers and updating their choice and personal details. During the 2006-07 cycle 26,223 applicants were accepted onto courses. The 2007-08 cycle opened on 12 September.
	I have no reason to believe that the system does not provide a good service for both applicants and providers.

Vocational Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the development of the  (a) 14-19 curriculum and  (b) vocational education.

Jim Knight: We are making good progress on the development of new Diplomasthe first five qualifications were accredited in September 2007 and will be taught by schools and colleges within selected consortia areas by September 2008. By 2013 every young person will be entitled to study for a diploma across all employment sectors, combining academic study with practical experience to give young people a strong platform of skills development and insight into the ways a sector works.
	Work-related learning (WRL), is an increasingly important part of the 14-19 curriculum, and is a key feature of Diplomas. WRL helps to develop the skills and attitudes that are essential in preparing young people for the world of work and has been a part of the statutory requirement at Key Stage 4 since 2004. Surveys from the QCA and Ofsted in 2007 provide good evidence that it is helping deliver better results for young people. In addition over 120,000 young people are involved in applied learning programmes such as the Increased Flexibility Programme, Young Apprenticeships and KS4 Engagement, leading to a range of applied qualifications, skills, motivational developments and progression opportunities. The final report of the review of work-related learning, published on 4 October 2007, sets out how we will build on the best practice that exists to embed work-related learning across the 14-19 curriculum. A copy of the report has been placed in the House Library.

Young People: Education

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) males and  (b) females aged between 16 and 25 were not in education, employment or training in (i) 1997, (ii) 2001, (iii) 2005 and (iv) 2007.

Beverley Hughes: The main official estimates for those not in education, employment or training (NEET) are for academic ages 16(1) to 18. This is the age group covered by the Department's Public Service Agreement (PSA) target on NEET, to
	reduce the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) by 2 percentage points by 2010 (from a baseline of 10 per cent at end 2004).
	The 16-18 NEET estimates can be accessed in a Statistical First Release (SFR) published by the Department, see web link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/index.shtml.
	The latest figures available are for 2006. The following figures are for individuals between the academic ages of 16 and 18 who were NEET in 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2006.
	(1) Academic age is the age of the individual measured at the beginning of the academic year, 31 August. Academic age 16 would be for those individuals in the year following compulsory education.
	
		
			  Males 
			   16-18 NEET  16-18 population  Percentage of 16-18 NEET 
			 1997 71,264 915,761 7.8 
			 2001 92,137 950,433 9.7 
			 2005 124,624 1,025,799 12.1 
			 2006 117,376 1,030,999 11.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Females 
			   16-18 NEET  16-18 population  Percentage of 16-18 NEET 
			 1997 83,048 890,568 9.3 
			 2001 83,750 898,104 9.3 
			 2005 92,439 968,640 9.5 
			 2006 88,808 970,609 9.1 
		
	
	
		
			  All 
			   16-18 NEET  16-18 population  Percentage of 16-18 NEET 
			 1997 154,312 1,806,328 8.5 
			 2001 175,888 1,848,537 9.5 
			 2005 217,063 1,994,139 10.9 
			 2006 206,185 2,001,608 10.3 
		
	
	Although fluctuating, the percentage NEET has risen slightly overall between 1997 and 2004 with a rise to a peak in 2005. This was due to a combination of factors; numbers in education and training fell at the start of the decade, and numbers in employment have fallen since 2003.
	More encouraging though, the latest (2006) NEET figures show that the proportion of young people who are NEET fell, especially among 16 and 17-year-olds. The last three years have seen a steady rise in participation rates, which shows that our education reforms are having an impact.
	The number of 16 to 25-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training can be estimated using the Labour Force Survey (LFS), although it should be noted that these are not directly comparable to the SFR estimates. The following figures are for individuals between the academic age of 16 and 25 who were NEET in 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2006. They are estimates from quarter 4 (October-December) of the LFS, which historically has been the quarter providing figures closest to the SFR for 16 to 18-year-olds.
	
		
			  Males 
			   16-25 MEET  16-25 population  Percentage of 16-25 NEET 
			 1997 289,759 2,871,674 10.1 
			 2001 303,472 2,912,698 13.0 
			 2005 376,547 3,021,408 14.5 
			 2006 366,939 3,069,094 13.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Females 
			   16-25 NEET  16-25 population  Percentage of 16-25 NEET 
			 1997 472,275 2,909,797 16.2 
			 2001 451,888 2,886,176 13.0 
			 2005 509,343 3,072,401 14.5 
			 2006 493,283 3,104,530 13.9 
		
	
	
		
			  All 
			   16-25 NEET  16-25 population  Percentage of 16-25 NEET 
			 1997 762,034 5,781,471 13.2 
			 2001 755,360 5,798,874 13.0 
			 2005 885,890 6,093,809 14.5 
			 2006 860,222 6,173,624 13.9

Young People: Public Transport

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many local authority children and young people plans refer to transport planning for those aged 18 and under, with particular reference to ensuring access for them to  (a) education and  (b) recreational opportunities.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not hold this information.

HEALTH

Ambulance Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in developing measures of patient outcome and experience of provision of NHS ambulance services referred to on page 60 of Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance services, published on 30 June 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: Recommendations concerning audit, including measures around patient outcome and experience, are the responsibility of the ambulance trusts, and are currently being addressed by the ambulance trusts.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to implement the recommendation in paragraph 4.13 of Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance services, published on 30 June 2005, to encourage greater clinical decision-making during initial telephone calls to  (a) 999,  (b) NHS Direct,  (c) out-of-hours providers and  (d) other telephone access points in the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: Ambulance services across the country work with partner agencies to implement referral pathways and introduce telephone advice systems into their operations centres. Ambulance Trusts are also currently taking forward work on the delivery of a national competency framework, and of a performance management framework, for control rooms and these will be used to inform the development of nationally recognised education and training programmes for ambulance call handling staff.
	With regard to NHS Direct, out-of-hours providers and other telephone access points, it is for the care providers to ensure that calls are handled efficiently and safely to ensure the right outcomes for patients. NHS Direct and out-of-hours providers work to nationally agreed standards, including response times, and the Royal College of General Practitioners has developed a toolkit which will assist primary care trusts, and help providers to monitor their performance against the out-of-hours quality requirements.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in increasing consistency in call handling across urgent care referred to in Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance services, published on 30 June 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: Ambulance trusts are working with other care providers to improve consistency in call handling. Measures include multi-agency agreed referral pathways between services, and the development of technical links between providers to minimise call waiting times and improve patient satisfaction.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has established the standard competency framework and core training syllabus for call-handling staff referred to in Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance Services, published on 30 June 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: Ambulance trusts are currently taking forward work on the delivery of a national competency framework, and of a performance management framework, for control rooms and these will be used to inform the development of nationally recognised education and training programmes for ambulance call handling staff.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned to establish the level of medical support necessary to maximise the effectiveness of clinical telephone advice following publication of Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance Services on 30 June 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: No research has been commissioned to establish the level of medical support necessary to maximise the effectiveness of clinical telephone advice. All services are, however, expected to have appropriate clinical governance arrangements in place to monitor safety and patient satisfaction with any clinical advice that is provided.

Ambulance Services: Protective Clothing

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requests he has received from ambulance trusts for additional funding for the purchase of stab proof vests.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is not aware of having received any requests from ambulance trusts for additional funding for the purchase of stab proof vests.
	Ambulance staff across the country can have stab vests if it is decided they are necessary by their local NHS ambulance trust, with some ambulance services already having introduced them.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to issue revised guidance or instructions to primary care trusts on optimum ambulance travel times to accident and emergency units.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not issued guidance or recommendations on travelling times to accident and emergency (A and E) departments, and there are no plans to issue such guidance or instructions to primary care trust's.
	The way the national health service responds to emergencies needs to focus not just on getting the patient to a location but also on taking care to the patient. This is why it is necessary to focus on a range of measures, including response times by the ambulance service, its ability to administer a wide range of treatment and provision of urgent and social care in the community.
	It is a matter for the local NHS to ensure there is appropriate provision of urgent and emergency care services that are responsive to people's needs. This includes A and E provision. The aim should be to provide safe, high quality care as close to home as is compatible with clinical safety.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues on safe travel times for emergency admissions to hospitals in England.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not issued guidance on travel times for emergency admissions to hospitals in England.
	The way the national health service responds to emergencies needs to focus not just on getting the patient to a location but also on taking care of the patient. This is why it is necessary to focus on a range of measures, including response times by the ambulance service, its ability to administer a wide range of treatment and provision of urgent and social care in the community.
	It is a matter for the local NHS to ensure there is appropriate provision of urgent and emergency care services that are responsive to people's needs. This includes accident and emergency provision. The aim should be to provide safe, high quality care as close to home as is compatible with clinical safety.

Ambulance Services: West Midlands

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the  (a) methodology and  (b) accuracy of the analysis conducted by the West Midlands Ambulance Service of responses to its consultation on reconfiguration of its emergency operations centres.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is clear that arrangements for where ambulance service control rooms are situated, and how calls into the control rooms are received, are a matter for the ambulance services themselves.
	The consultation on changes to emergency operations centres currently being held by the West Midlands Ambulance Service is locally led. Therefore, the West Midlands Ambulance Service would be in the best position to provide more details about the arrangements in place in this area.

Barlborough Independent Sector Treatment Centre

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been treated in each of the last three years by the Barlborough Independent Sector Treatment Centre.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of procedures that have been carried out at Barlborough NHS Treatment Centre in each of the last three years since it opened on 1 April 2005 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of patients 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 3,668 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 3,864 
			 April to August 2007 1,681 
			 Total 9,233

Care Homes: Crewe

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private care homes are situated in Crewe and Nantwich; how many residents are in each unit; on what date each was last inspected; how many have contracts with the local primary care trust or social services departments for residences from Crewe and Nantwich; and what the average payment is for such contracts.

Ivan Lewis: We have been informed by the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that data on the numbers of homes in Crewe and Nantwich constituency are not available separately.
	As at 10 September 2007, there were 124 privately-run care homes within the boundaries of Cheshire council area, which includes Crewe and Nantwich. The following table shows types of home, the number of beds registered at each and with the most recent inspection date. Information on occupancy levels and contracts with primary care trusts and local authorities and their value is not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Name of home  Type of home  Number of registered places ( 1) Date of last completed inspection 
			 Belong Macclesfield Nursing 72 (1) 
			 Audlem Country Nursing Home Nursing 41 8 August 2007 
			 Woodlands Care Centre Nursing 30 (1) 
			 Sutton Oaks Care Centre Nursing 55 (1) 
			 Rowans Care Centre Nursing 30 23 August 2007 
			 Prestbury Beaumont Nursing 35 3 April 2007 
			 Adlington Manor Nursing 88 (1) 
			 Greengables Nursing Centre Nursing 31 30 May 2007 
			 Brookview Nursing and Residential Centre Nursing 55 28 June 2007 
			 Clumber House Nursing Home Nursing 36 13 September 2007 
			 Sunrise Operations Mobberly Limited Residential care 43 14 June 2007 
			 Lauren Court Residential Care Home Residential care 47 17 May 2007 
			 Carmel Lodge Care Home Residential care 36 7 June 2007 
			 Weston Park Care Home Nursing 90 20 June 2007 
			 Vale Court Care Home Nursing 56 4 June 2007 
			 Hillcrest Residential Care Home for the Elderly Residential care 32 16 March 2007 
			 Curzon Park Residential Home Residential care 25 1 March 2007 
			 Bradwell Court Residential care 27 7 June 2007 
			 Cloverfields Nursing 32 14 September 2007 
			 Chesham Residential care 33 17 April 2007 
			 David Lewis CentreCollege Community House Residential care 8 12 July 2007 
			 Brookfield House Care Home Residential care 45 11 September 2007 
			 David Lewis Centre College Complex Unit Residential care 18 26 February 2007 
			 Crabwall Hall Residential care 43 26 October 2006 
			 Hope Green Residential Home Residential care 43 1 February 2007 
			 Orcadia Residential care 10 21 August 2007 
			 Plessington Court Residential care 19 30 May 2007 
			 Brantwood Residential Care Home Residential care 21 2 August 2007 
			 Genesis Care Home Residential care 42 28 June 2007 
			 Ashfields Care Home Residential care 39 30 May 2007 
			 Lavender House Care Home Residential care 20 15 May 2007 
			 Chapel Brook House Nursing and Residential Care Home Nursing 32 17 April 2007 
			 The Old Hall Residential care 18 11 July 2007 
			 Corbrook Court Nursing 30 3 January 2007 
			 Turning Point (Westminster Road) Residential care 4 9 March 2007 
			 Applecroft Residential Care Home Residential care 25 6 August 2007 
			 Wrenbury Nursing Home Nursing 33 10 April 2007 
			 Park Lane Residential Home Residential care 42 30 May 2007 
			 Davenham Hall Nursing Home Nursing 41 16 January 2007 
			 Clayton Manor Nursing Home Nursing 78 10 January 2007 
			 Woodlands Christian Nursing Home Nursing 85 28 February 2007 
			 Willows Christian General Nursing Home Nursing 60 22 May 2007 
			 Tabley House General Nursing Home Nursing 59 11 April 2007 
			 Mount Pleasant Nursing Home Nursing 42 9 January 2007 
			 Whitby House Nursing Home Nursing 40 15 May 2007 
			 Weatherstones House Nursing Home Nursing 31 31 May 2006 
			 Tarvin Court Nursing Home Nursing 28 14 June 2006 
			 Sable Cottage Nursing Home Nursing 38 13 November 2006 
			 Prospect House Nursing Home Nursing 44 10 January 2007 
			 Pinetum Nursing Home Nursing 48 12 February 2007 
			 Oaklands Nursing Home Nursing 40 23 April 2007 
			 Southfield Manor Nursing Home Nursing 101 24 November 2006 
			 Pendlebury Manor Care Home Residential care 61 3 July 2007 
			 Jackson House Nursing Home Nursing 4 9 August 2007 
			 Hollins Park Nursing Home Nursing 49 18 July 2007 
			 Arclid Green Nursing Home Nursing 8 16 January 2007 
			 The Hill Nursing 33 1 November 2006 
			 Redwalls Nursing Home Nursing 43 27 September 2007 
			 Church House Nursing Home Nursing 44 10 August 2006 
			 Willows Nursing Home, Blacon Nursing 73 2 May 2007 
			 Orchard Manor Nursing Home Nursing 53 19 July 2007 
			 Thornton Manor Care Home Nursing 47 11 July 2007 
			 Sharston House Nursing Home Nursing 48 17 May 2007 
			 Rangemore Nursing Home Nursing 49 31 July 2007 
			 Highfield House Nursing Home Nursing 13 17 April 2007 
			 Mount Hall Nursing Home Nursing 42 5 October 2006 
			 Hazelmere House Nursing Home Nursing 60 26 June 2007 
			 Daneside Court Nursing Home Nursing 64 17 October 2006 
			 Westwood Court Nursing Home Nursing 56 19 December 2006 
			 Primrose House Nursing Home Nursing 42 28 November 2006 
			 Minshull Court Nursing Home Nursing 34 27 July 2007 
			 Avandale Lodge Nursing Home Nursing 48 2 March 2007 
			 Loxley Hall Nursing Home Nursing 40 24 July 2007 
			 Old Rectory Nursing Home Capenhurst Nursing 35 25 September 2007 
			 Kingswood Hall Nursing Home Nursing 23 14 June 2007 
			 Fern Lodge Nursing Home Nursing 21 8 May 2007 
			 Newton Hall Care Home Residential care 34 11 July 2007 
			 Frodsham Christian General Care Home Nursing 70 10 July 2007 
			 Winsford Grange Care Home Nursing 60 11 April 2007 
			 Station House Nursing Home Nursing 69 28 November 2006 
			 St. Stephens Care Home Nursing 40 17 April 2007 
			 St. Catherines Care Home Nursing 40 13 April 2007 
			 Rosedale Manor Care Centre Residential care 80 23 April 2007 
			 Hollymere House General Nursing Home Nursing 48 14 September 2007 
			 Heliosa Nursing Home Nursing 42 15 November 2006 
			 Richmond Village Care Centre Residential care 41 28 June 2007 
			 Overdene House Nursing Home Residential care 70 3 July 2006 
			 Newton Court Nursing Home Nursing 60 21 August 2007 
			 Lawton Manor Nursing 50 17 May 2007 
			 Gables Nursing Home Nursing 34 7 September 2007 
			 Cypress Court Nursing Home Nursing 60 26 September 2006 
			 Kingscourt Nursing Home Nursing 37 24 May 2007 
			 Acorn Hollow General Nursing Home Nursing 48 14 March 2007 
			 Crawfords Walk Nursing Home Nursing 120 22 March 2007 
			 Chester Lodge General Nursing Home Nursing 40 4 September 2007 
			 The Chapel House Nursing 35 17 January 2007 
			 Birch Heath Lodge Nursing Home Nursing 38 17 April 2007 
			 Atherton Lodge Nursing Home Nursing 49 22 May 2007 
			 Aaron Court Care Home Nursing 73 4 December 2006 
			 The LaurelsCongleton Residential care 36 20 February 2007 
			 Tunnicliffe House Residential care 16 4 April 2007 
			 Cavendish House Residential care 6 23 November 2006 
			 Stone House Residential care 33 19 December 2006 
			 Park House Residential care 29 30 August 2007 
			 Essendene Residential care 13 2 March 2007 
			 Mayfield House Residential care 51 25 May 2006 
			 Sandiway Lodge Residential care 36 11 October 2006 
			 The Manor Residential care 45 24 July 2007 
			 Alsager Court Care Centre Nursing 27 6 July 2007 
			 Hillside Residential care 19 10 October 2006 
			 Hinderton Mount Residential care 26 24 January 2007 
			 Daneside Mews Residential care 34 18 April 2007 
			 Mount Pleasant Residential care 25 16 May 2007 
			 Dystlegh Grange Residential care 40 4 June 2007 
			 Inglewood Residential care 22 5 December 2006 
			 Sandiway Manor Residential care 29 29 August 2007 
			 Upton Grange Residential care 25 17 May 2007 
			 Morningside Residential care 31 15 November 2006 
			 Dunkeld Residential care 13 31 October 2006 
			 Hartford Hey Residential care 28 7 August 2007 
			 Ms J. Jordan Residential care 3 24 July 2007 
			 Dee House Residential care 9 4 August 2006 
			 Thornton House Residential care 22 30 October 2006 
			 The Grange Residential care 3 30 November 2006 
			 (1) A blank in this column indicates that registration is still to be completed, i.e. a new or re-registered home.  Source:  CSCI Registration and Inspection database, 10 September 2007.

Clacton Hospital: Closures

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the recent local consultation to determine whether to shut the Peter Bruff Ward at Clacton hospital.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally. This is a matter for the local national health service and the East of England strategic health authority as the local headquarters of the NHS.

Contaminated Blood and Blood Products Inquiry

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has submitted evidence to the Archer inquiry into the safety of blood products; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is co-operating fully with the inquiry. Officials have met the inquiry team twice, on 25 April and 19 September, to hear their concerns. The evidence held by the Department is in the form of the official documents covering these issues in the years 1970-85. These documents have been prepared in line with the Freedom of Information Act and released to the inquiry team in monthly batches starting in June, and the final batch will be released this month.

Departments: Offices

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to establish regional offices of his Department; and whether they will be based on  (a) strategic health authorities and  (b) Government Office for the Region boundaries.

Ivan Lewis: We have no plans to establish regional offices of the Department.
	The Department already has a public health presence which is co-located in each Government office for the region.
	Following its high level review, the Department has considered options to improve our capacity and capability at a regional level; to strengthen our relationships with local authorities across their responsibilities for adult social care and improving public health.
	Our proposals focus on building the capability and capacity of our presence in each Government office for the region. Our proposals do not suggest any change to the functions of strategic health authorities.

Departments: Publicity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's projected spending is on advertising and promotional campaigns for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09, broken down by cost relating to (i) television, (ii) radio and (iii) print media.

Dawn Primarolo: Figures for spend 2007-08 are as follows:
	Sexual health: total campaign budget 1,177,000 (advertising expenditure only).
	
		
			  Spend to date on specified channels 
			
			 TV 565,000 
			 Radio 187,000 
			 Press 195,000 
		
	
	Further planned spend:
	Radio: 230,000
	Flu immunisation: total budget 879,000 (advertising expenditure only).
	
		
			  Spend to date on specified channels 
			
			 TV 542,000 
			 Press 282,000 
			 Radio 42,000 
		
	
	Further 13,000 is planned for later in the year.
	Hepatitis C: total budget: 890,000 (advertising expenditure only).
	
		
			  Planned spend 
			   
			 Radio 590,000 
			 Press 300,000 
		
	
	Tobacco control: 11,390,000 (advertising expenditure only).
	
		
			
			 TV 3,400,000 
			 Radio 755,000 
			 Press 735,000 
		
	
	Further 6,500,000 is planned for the rest of the year.
	The aforementioned figures only refer to campaigns which are solely funded by the Department.
	 Next financial year (2008-09)
	Figures for spend 2008-09 cannot be provided at this stage as budget and media allocations have not been finalised.

Departments: Reorganisation

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the basis is for the decision to put in place new arrangements for a comprehensive regional presence outlined in his Department's Capability Review and Development Plan, published on 12 September 2007; which arrangements currently exist to support the Department's regional presence; whether he anticipates the reconfiguration of strategic health authorities in support of the new arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Following its high level review, the Department has considered options to improve our capacity and capability at a regional level; to strengthen our relationships with local authorities across their responsibilities for adult social care and improving public health.
	At present the Department has a smaller presence in each Government office for the regions (GOR) than comparable Departments of State.
	Our proposals focus on building the capability and capacity of our presence in each GOR. Our proposals do not suggest any change to the functions of strategic health authorities.

Departments: Temporary Employment

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of his Department's staff were provided by agencies at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what the  (a) average,  (b) highest and  (c) lowest cost was per agency staff member for the most recent period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not keep records that would provide such an analysis of agency staff. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Emergency Services: Crimes of Violence

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people resident in Suffolk were charged with attacking emergency service workers in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: This information is not collated centrally in relation to emergency workers engaged in delivery of national health service services.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written statement of 24 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 52-4WS, on GP services (better access), what the scope is of Lord Darzi's work on the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF); whether his work will inform the QOF indicators which will apply in 2008-09; how Lord Darzi plans to seek views from  (a) GPs,  (b) other NHS staff and  (c) other interested parties on his work; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The national health service Next Stage review announced on 4 July and led by Lord Darzi is addressing four challenges as set out in the terms of reference available in the Library and summarised as follows:
	ensuring clinical decision making is at the heart of the NHS;
	improving the quality of patient care;
	delivering more accessible and convenient care, reflecting best value for money; and
	ensuring services are responsive to patients and local communities.
	In pursuing these issues, the review will consider the provision of primary medical services and the underpinning contractual incentives including the quality and outcomes framework. Discussions with the British Medical Association (BMA) and others about contractual matters are being taken forward in the normal way.
	In the past 10 weeks Lord Darzi has met more than 1,500 patients and NHS staff to garner their views on the issues in question. He has also met the representatives of 250 stakeholder groups, including patient representative organisations, NHS trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities, as well as Royal Colleges and the voluntary sector and seen 1,400 letters and emails from individuals.

Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many urgent care networks there are in England; where they operate; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. However, we have commissioned the Medical Care Research Unit at Sheffield University to investigate the operation of urgent and emergency care networks in the national health service.

Health Services: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) target levels of funding based on health needs and  (b) actual level of funding received was for (i) the Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust and (ii) the Luton Primary Care Trust in each year since the trusts were established; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Revenue allocations were made to primary care trusts (PCT) for the first time in 2003-04. The following table show the allocations and distance from targets for Bedfordshire PCT and Luton PCT for the two allocation rounds 2003-06 and 2006-08.
	
		
			  PCT name  Actual allocation (000)  Closing distance from target (Percentage) 
			  2003-04   
			 Bedfordshire PCT 299,591 -3.2 
			 Luton PCT 153,586 -6.7 
			
			  2004-05   
			 Bedfordshire PCT 328,456 -3.0 
			 Luton PCT 168,759 -6.3 
			
			  2005-06   
			 Bedfordshire PCT 359,454 -2.9 
			 Luton PCT 185,096 -6.0 
			
			  2006-07   
			 Bedfordshire PCT 434,053 -4.4 
			 Luton PCT 223,068 -5.1 
			
			  2007-08   
			 Bedfordshire PCT 483,955 -3.3 
			 Luton PCT 247,703 -3.5 
			  Notes: 1. 2003-04 to 2007-08 allocations were made to Bedford PCT and Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT, which merged to form Bedfordshire PCT on 1 October 2006. 2. 2003-04 to 2005-06 allocations were covered by a single resource allocation formula, which also took account of general medical services (GMS NCL) expenditure. Most GMS NCL funding was included in 2006-07 and 2007-08 allocations. 3. The distance from target (DFT) represents the actual allocation compared to the target allocation. With a DFT of -1 per cent. the actual allocation is 1 per cent. less than the target allocation.

Health Services: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account has been taken of  (a) the number of people who have difficulties with the English language in Bedfordshire and Luton,  (b) the sustainable communities growth areas,  (c) the provision of (i) prescribing services, (ii) primary medical services, (iii) HIV/AIDS services for Bedfordshire and Luton and (iv) hospital and community health services,  (d) the level of inward migration into Bedfordshire and Luton,  (e) the weighted population for Bedfordshire and Luton,  (f) the pace of change element for Bedfordshire and Luton and  (g) the particular health needs of Bedfordshire and Luton when allocating funds for (A) Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust and (B) Luton Primary Care Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The formula which informed 2006-07 and 2007-08 allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) is described in Resource allocation: weighted capitation formula (fifth edition).
	The calculations behind 2006-07 and 2007-08 allocations, including populations, age, need, market forces factor and other adjustments, and pace of change policy are provided for the 303 PCTs to which those allocations were made in the publication entitled 2006-07 and 2007-08 PCT initial revenue resource limits.
	Both publications are available in the Library and at www.dh.gov.uk/allocations

Health Services: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the age and accuracy of statistical information used when allocating funds for  (a) Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust and  (b) Luton Primary Care Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The weighted capitation formula that is used to inform revenue allocations to primary care trusts is continuously overseen and developed by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA).
	Resource allocation: weighted capitation formula (fifth edition) describes the statistical information in the weighted capitation formula which informed allocations to primary care trusts in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
	Allocation of resources to English areas; individual and small area determinants of morbidity and use of healthcare resources (Sutton M, Gravelle H, Morris S, Leyland A, Windmeijer F, Dibben C, Muirhead M), report to the Department, further explains the statistical information used to develop need adjustments in the hospital and community health services and prescribing components of the formula.
	Both publications are available in the Library and also at www.dh.gov.uk/allocations
	ACRA also keep the accuracy of the information under review.

Health Services: Community Care

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are in receipt of NHS continuing care services in each primary care trust; and what percentage this represents per 50,000 of each trust's population.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Continuing care, primary care trusts (PCT) 
			  PCT name  Number of people receiving continuing care  PCT population  Number per 50,000 population 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 126 306,680 20.5 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 96 164,521 29.2 
			 Barnet PCT 242 329,681 36.7 
			 Barnsley PCT 51 222,120 11.5 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 17 110,716 7.7 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 158 173,708 45.5 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 172 397,717 21.6 
			 Berkshire East PCT 71 378,884 9.4 
			 Berkshire West PCT 268 445,017 30.1 
			 Bexley Care Trust 127 220,310 28.8 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 147 396,780 18.5 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 49 140,228 17.5 
			 Blackpool PCT 55 142,915 19.2 
			 Bolton PCT 119 265,372 22.4 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 146 300,655 24.3 
			 Bradford and Airedale PCT 166 485,015 17.1 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 583 270,084 107.9 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 156 255,022 30.6 
			 Bristol PCT 86 398,276 10.8 
			 Bromley PCT 168 301,926 27.8 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 0 494,946 0.0 
			 Bury PCT 22 183,486 6.0 
			 Calderdale PCT 77 195,291 19.7 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 174 588,886 14.8 
			 Camden PCT 166 226,102 36.7 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 100 447,389 11.2 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 206 450,256 22.9 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 175 216,927 40.3 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly PCT 541 519,446 52.1 
			 County Durham PCT 517 499,759 51.7 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 836 304,236 137.4 
			 Croydon PCT 215 342,697 31.4 
			 Cumbria PCT 140 498,870 14.0 
			 Darlington PCT 63 99,177 31.8 
			 Derby City PCT 152 233,748 32.5 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 218 714,284 15.3 
			 Devon PCT 227 730,978 15.5 
			 Doncaster PCT 153 289,602 26.4 
			 Dorset PCT 42 401,145 5.2 
			 Dudley PCT 277 305,620 45.3 
			 Ealing PCT 77 301,783 12.8 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 285 518,416 27.5 
			 East Lancashire PCT 116 381,519 15.2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 35 327,378 5.3 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 181 324,996 27.8 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 329 714,214 23.0 
			 Enfield PCT 168 280,540 29.9 
			 Gateshead PCT 116 191,479 30.3 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 61 575,225 5.3 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 43 207,222 10.4 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 135 228,145 29.6 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 100 295,027 16.9 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 94 179,850 26.1 
			 Hampshire PCT 1,076 1,259,474 42.7 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 185 224,477 41.2 
			 Harrow PCT 306 213,961 71.5 
			 Hartlepool PCT 152 90,012 84.4 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 56 172,911 16.2 
			 Havering PCT 316 226,209 69.8 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 61 266,619 11.4 
			 Herefordshire PCT 52 178,763 14.5 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 82 206,391 19.9 
			 Hillingdon PCT 290 252,404 57.4 
			 Hounslow PCT 294 212,508 69.2 
			 Hull PCT 168 249,097 33.7 
			 Isle Of Wight NHS PCT 57 140,015 20.4 
			 Islington PCT 127 182,637 34.8 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 140 196,232 35.7 
			 Kingston PCT 71 153,027 23.2 
			 Kirklees PCT 125 394,557 15.8 
			 Knowsley PCT 56 149,393 18.7 
			 Lambeth PCT 120 269,127 22.3 
			 Leeds PCT 520 723,088 36.0 
			 Leicester City PCT 103 288,016 17.9 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 187 665,154 14.1 
			 Lewisham PCT 113 247,463 22.8 
			 Lincolnshire PCT 431 681,056 31.6 
			 Liverpool PCT 225 447,457 25.1 
			 Luton PCT 130 184,895 35.2 
			 Manchester PCT 128 441,184 14.5 
			 Medway PCT 117 251,072 23.3 
			 Mid Essex PCT 273 357,222 38.2 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 88 137,571 32.0 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 63 223,904 14.1 
			 Newcastle PCT 66 276,377 11.9 
			 Newham PCT 55 246,230 11.2 
			 Norfolk PCT 233 731,721 15.9 
			 North East Essex PCT 56 305,174 9.2 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 99 158,777 31.2 
			 North Lancashire PCT 246 324,348 37.9 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 60 153,416 19.6 
			 North Somerset PCT 34 195,104 8.7 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 121 210,199 28.8 
			 North Tees PCT 96 186,681 25.7 
			 North Tyneside PCT 102 192,319 26.5 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 245 768,721 15.9 
			 Northamptonshire PCT 397 651,824 30.5 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 213 311,329 34.2 
			 Nottingham City PCT 87 278,693 15.6 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT 212 651,971 16.3 
			 Oldham PCT 122 219,178 27.8 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 145 602,383 12.0 
			 Peterborough PCT 123 159,706 38.5 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 100 246,130 20.3 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 190 189,599 50.1 
			 Redbridge PCT 138 251,502 27.4 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 58 138,599 20.9 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 104 186,265 27.9 
			 Rotherham PCT 82 253,214 16.2 
			 Salford PCT 35 216,428 8.1 
			 Sandwell PCT 333 286,305 58.2 
			 Sefton PCT 131 280,942 23.3 
			 Sheffield PCT 99 520,679 9.5 
			 Shropshire County PCT 80 289,021 13.8 
			 Solihull Care Trust 125 200,886 31.1 
			 Somerset PCT 120 515,617 11.6 
			 South Birmingham PCT 76 337,786 11.2 
			 South East Essex PCT 111 325,814 17.0 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 77 248,091 15.5 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 195 598,630 16.3 
			 South Tyneside PCT 156 151,316 51.5 
			 South West Essex PCT 67 384,494 8.7 
			 Southampton City PCT 275 221,969 61.9 
			 Southwark PCT 119 257,675 23.1 
			 Stockport PCT 82 281,628 14.6 
			 Stoke On Trent PCT 133 246,150 27.0 
			 Suffolk PCT 49 577,378 4.2 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 203 283,689 35.8 
			 Surrey PCT 388 1,063,943 18.2 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 187 372,439 25.1 
			 Swindon PCT 54 189,714 14.2 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 103 247,338 20.8 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 180 161,599 55.7 
			 Torbay Care Trust 130 132,804 48.9 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 74 213,178 17.4 
			 Trafford PCT 56 213,196 13.1 
			 Wakefield District PCT 159 320,628 24.8 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 47 253,463 9.3 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 109 224,067 24.3 
			 Wandsworth PCT 59 281,394 10.5 
			 Warrington PCT 105 194,711 27.0 
			 Warwickshire PCT 311 533,939 29.1 
			 West Essex PCT 90 273,220 16.5 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 290 529,771 27.4 
			 West Kent PCT 305 655,725 23.3 
			 West Sussex PCT 365 764,435 23.9 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 93 232,468 20.0 
			 Westminster PCT 239 244,365 48.9 
			 Wiltshire PCT 135 446,616 15.1 
			 Wirral PCT 70 313,079 11.2 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 127 239,610 26.5 
			 Worcestershire PCT 270 555,832 24.3 
			  Source:  Department of Health form LDPR 2007-08 Ql, Office for National Statistics 2005 mid-year population estimates.

Hearing Impaired: Waiting Times

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting times are for digital hearing aid  (a) assessment and  (b) fitting in the Stockport Primary Care Trust area.

Ivan Lewis: The latest figures for July 2007 indicate that the number of people waiting over 13 weeks for an audiology assessment at Stockport Primary Care Trust was 1,296. The Department does not collect data on the numbers of people waiting to be fitted with a hearing aid.

Hospital Beds

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets were set for delayed discharge of patients aged  (a) below 65 years and  (b) 65 years and over in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The national health service plan contained a commitment to reduce widespread delayed discharges by 2004.
	Councils and their NHS partners have already made significant progress in reducing delays in hospital. Between September 2001 and June 2007 the number of people over the age of 75 delayed in hospital reduced from 5,673 to 1,627, a reduction of 71 per cent., and total delays for the same period reduced from 7,065 to 2,173, a reduction of 69 per cent.

Hospital Beds

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges there were of patients aged  (a) below 65 years and  (b) 65 years and over nationally in each year since 1997, broken down by health trust.

Ivan Lewis: The information has been placed in the Library.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was to the public purse of the Ipsos MORI research study on public engagement to inform the 2007 pandemic influenza national framework and supporting guidance, published on 30 May 2007; whether his Department is undertaking any other programmes of work to engage the public on plans to prioritise treatment in the event of an influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of the research study on public engagement was 59,000. After the publication of the National Framework for responding to an influenza pandemic in the autumn, we will further test the public's reactions to many issues in pandemic planning and decision-making. This will include issues of prioritisation of access, should that be necessary, to clinical countermeasures. Work continues on the design of a public engagement programme to facilitate this process.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the modelling referred to in the paper published on his Department's website on 8 August 2007 entitled Use of antiviral drugs in an influenza pandemic.

Dawn Primarolo: The modelling summary referred to in the antiviral paper has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/sagpf/minutes/modelling-implications-summary-jan07.pdf.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an influenza pandemic on the  (a) supply of and  (b) demand for (i) blood and (ii) blood components; what steps he is taking to ensure an adequate supply of blood in the event of a pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), together with the Department modelling team, have created a series of planning assumptions based on the best available estimates of demand for blood, the experience within NHSBT and that of other blood services, and the best possible estimate of supply under these conditions. While supply is dependent upon donors continuing to make altruistic gestures during the pandemic the current estimate based on these assumptions is that, in the worst case scenario, supply could fall by about 20 to 30 per cent.
	Likewise, the estimates that can be made for demand are based on best available evidence and current knowledge. NHSBT's conservative estimate is that current demand for red cells could fall by about 10 to 25 per cent., while the demand for fresh frozen plasma and platelets could reduce by lesser amounts, although it is possible that demand could fall further.
	NHSBT has a well-developed emergency planning system, which includes specific plans covering pandemic influenza. NHSBT's plans are regularly reviewed and updated to keep them in line with the latest emerging guidance.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths resulting from influenza infection there were in each year since 1979; what the population coverage of seasonal influenza immunisation was in each year since 1979; and in which years since 1979 there were epidemics of seasonal influenza.

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to determine the precise number of deaths due to influenza in a population because influenza itself is rarely the direct cause of death. Influenza may be complicated by bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, or may worsen an underlying illness, such as heart disease, and death results from the subsequent illness. In addition, by the time someone whose illness began with influenza gets to hospital, or dies, no evidence is apparent that the individual had influenza.
	As a result, estimates of the number of deaths resulting from influenza epidemics are based on the number of deaths from all causes occurring during a period when influenza is circulating in the community, from which is subtracted the total number of deaths that would have been expected to have occurred in the absence of on influenza epidemic. This is generally referred to as the number of excess deaths due to influenza.
	Estimates for excess deaths from influenza in England and Wales have been made by the Health Protection Agency for the 1988-89 to 2005-06 influenza seasons, and are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Estimated excess deaths due to influenza in England and Wales 
			  Influenza season  Number of excess deaths 
			 1988-89 358 
			 1989-90 26,945 
			 1990-91 8,125 
			 1991-92 5,967 
			 1992-93 1,687 
			 1993-94 14,544 
			 1994-95 2,480 
			 1995-96 16,241 
			 1996-97 21,770 
			 1997-98 0 
			 1998-99 17,982 
			 1999-2000 22,040 
			 2000-01 1,067 
			 2001-02 7,078 
			 2002-03 6,559 
			 2003-04 5,207 
			 2004-05 1,795 
			 2005-06 0 
		
	
	Flu vaccine uptake in those aged 65 and over since 2000-01 is shown in the following table. Data were not held centrally prior to 2000-01.
	
		
			   Uptake in those aged 65 and over (Percentage) 
			 2000-01 65.4 
			 2001-02 67.5 
			 2002-03 68.6 
			 2003-04 71.0 
			 2004-05 71.5 
			 2005-06 75.3 
			 2006-07 74.0 
		
	
	Epidemic years have been classified as those in which higher than average seasonal activity has occurred. Since 1979, the following seasons would be classified as epidemic using this definition: 1989-90, 1993-94, 1996-97, 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

Influenza Pandemic

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1223W, on influenza pandemic, whether any of the stockpile of A/H5N1 vaccines have been used; at what cost the stockpile was purchased; and what the shelf-life of the vaccine is.

Dawn Primarolo: None of the current stockpile of H5N1 vaccine has been used. The stockpile was purchased at a cost of 33.4 million. Vaccine from two different manufacturers has been stockpiled. Vaccine from one manufacturer has a shelf life of two years and the vaccine from the other has a shelf life of 12 months, and is subject to on-going stability testing by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control and the manufacturers.

Mental Health Services

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available in England for those with mental health problems in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: This information is shown in the following table. The reduction in mental health bed numbers reflects the increasing provision by the national health service in England of treatment for patients with mental health conditions in primary care and community settings, without the need for hospital admissions.
	
		
			  Average daily beds available for acute mental health services in the national health service in England 
			   Number 
			 1996-97 37,640 
			 1997-98 36,601 
			 1998-99 35,692 
			 1999-2000 34,173 
			 2000-01 34,214 
			 2001-02 32,783 
			 2002-03 32,753 
			 2003-04 32,252 
			 2004-05 31,286 
			 2005-06 29,802 
			 2006-07 27,914 
			  Source:  Department of Health form KH03.

Mental Health Services

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in England with mental health problems were prescribed  (a) drug and  (b) psychological treatment in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Around 7 million adults in England have a common mental health problem, with approximately 90 per cent. of these people being treated in primary care. However, information is not collected centrally about diagnoses for any condition in primary care, so reliable data are not available about the number of people who receive, or have received specific treatments, including those with mental health problems who have been prescribed drug treatments or psychological therapies.
	We know that there is a significant level of unmet need for people suffering with depression and/or anxiety disorders. This is why the Government announced on 10 October their commitment to building a new psychological therapy service, with additional investment rising to 170 million over the next three years. By 2011, this service will help to treat 900,000 more people with depression, who would otherwise not have been treated.

Mentally Ill: Public Participation

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations his Department received from the voluntary sector about mental illness in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected by the Department.
	The Department is committed to working with all mental health stakeholders. The voluntary and community sector has had and continues to have a positive role in both helping to shape policy and its implementation, and in delivering services to people with mental illness.

Mentally Ill: Suicide

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many suicides were committed by those with mental illness in England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The number of suicides by people in contact with mental health services in England in each year from 1997 to 2005 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997 1,203 
			 1998 1,253 
			 1999 1,258 
			 2000 1,248 
			 2001 1,258 
			 2002 1,246 
			 2003 1,235 
			 2004 1,280 
			 2005(1) 1,149 
			 (1) 87 per cent. complete. 
		
	
	Information on suicides by people in contact with mental health services is collected by the National Confidential Inquiry (NCI) into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. The NCI is funded by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) to ensure that everyone involved in mental health services learns and implements lessons from the factors associated with serious mental illness. The Department has been and remains committed to taking appropriate action in response to the inquiry's findings.

Mobile Phones: Health Hazards

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the mobile phone industry on developing increased protection for users from radiation from prolonged mobile phone use;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on developing greater protection for users from radiation from prolonged mobile phone use.

Dawn Primarolo: No discussions have taken place with the mobile phone industry or our European counterparts on such matters. Mobile phones comply with the international guidelines set out in the European Council Recommendation EC/519/1999.

Mobile Phones: Health Hazards

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation his Department has made of recent international research into the health effects of prolonged mobile phone use.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department receives advice from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) on the health effects of electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation exposure such as that emitted by mobile phones. The HPA's independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation published a comprehensive detailed review of mobile-phone related studies in Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (Documents of the NRPB, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2003). This report and HPA advice are available on its website at www.hpa.org.uk/radiation. More recently a number of individual studies have been published and will be taken into account in the next detailed review. It may be appropriate to undertake such a review when the results of the large international INTERPHONE study are known.
	The INTERPHONE study is being co-ordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization located in Lyon, France. IARC published an update on 25 September 2007, in which it indicated the study is nearing completion and summarised the results from scientific papers that have already been published by some of the national components. The update is available at:
	www.iarc.fr/ENG/Units/INTERPHONEresultsupdate.pdf
	The programme management committee of the UK's Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme (MTHR) published a report on 12 September 2007. The MTHR report described the work it has supported in the United Kingdom and placed it in context with work going on in other parts of the world. The committee's report is available at:
	www.mthr.org.uk/.

Modernising Medical Careers

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his response is to each of the questions in Sir John Tooke's interim report on medical careers.

Ann Keen: The Department would like to thank Sir John Tooke and his review group for investing so much time and expertise in providing recommendations for the future of medical training for 2009 and beyond. We will consider Sir John's findings carefully.
	Since the interim report is out to consultation it is inappropriate to comment in detail to each of the questions raised.

NHS Treatment Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1200W, on NHS Treatment Centres, whether the review of NHS walk-in centre funding arrangements is complete; and when he plans to publish the review report.

Ben Bradshaw: An initial review of NHS walk-in centres and their funding arrangements has been undertaken. Further work is now taking place as part of the package of measures announced in the interim report of the national health service next stage review, including the development of a strategy for primary and community care. The conclusions of this work will be published in due course.

NHS: ICT

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many providers of clinical decision support software supply products to the NHS there are; which providers  (a) supplied such software to the NHS in June 2005 and  (b) supply software now; what steps he is taking to rationalise the number of software programmes used following the recommendation in paragraph 4.8 of Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance Services, published on 30 June 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not centrally hold information on providers of software used by all ambulance trusts in June 2005. Ambulance services across England now use only one call prioritisation system for 999 call handling, the internationally recognised Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System, with the exception of north-east ambulance service who are piloting NHS Pathways, and the Royal Berkshire area of south central ambulance service, who are using a computerised criteria based despatch system.

NHS: Research

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total allocated budget is for NHS research for each of the years 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			million 
			  National Institute for Health Research budget( 1)  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Revenue 829.8 879.4 942 
			 Capital 50 50 50 
			 Total 879.8 929.4 992 
			 ( 1) Includes medical and dental research training.

NHS: Translation Services

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on translators in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: National health service bodies are not required to report their planned or actual spending on interpretation and translation services to the Department. When planning such services, NHS bodies should take due account of their legal duties, the composition of the communities they serve, and the needs and circumstances of their patients, service users and local populations.

Nurses: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many matrons were employed in the NHS in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: Modern matrons were recorded for the first time in the 2005 annual workforce census.
	Prior to 2001, the pay grade matron had been obsolete for over 30 years as the number of nurse managers had been recorded in the national health service census with general and senior managers.
	The September 2006 census showed there were 1,982 modern matrons in post, an increase of 376 or 23.4 per cent. since 2005. Numbers of community matrons were recorded for the first time in 2005. The September 2006 census showed there were 366 community matrons in post, an increase of 99 or 37.1 per cent. on 2005.
	We are committed to increasing the number of community matrons and local development plans strongly suggest this is happening. Anecdotal evidence suggests there are more community matrons in post than the census suggests.

Personal Care Services

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place a note in the Library updating that of January 2004 on the costs of free personal care.

Ivan Lewis: In England, the Government have accepted each of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on long-term care except the recommendation that personal care should be provided free at the point of delivery to all in all settings. We estimate that the cost of implementing free personal care in England would be around 1.5 billion at 2003-04 prices.
	The Personal Social Services Research Unit has recently published 'Paying for Long-Term Care for Older People in the UK: Modelling the Costs and Distributional Effects of a Range of Options', which models a range of options for funding long-term care, including making personal care free to all in all settings.
	The report gives estimated public expenditure costs at 2002 prices of between 1.35 billion and 1.8 billion, depending on the way in which free personal care is implemented. This covers residential and home care for older people. It covers the whole of the United Kingdom. The England equivalent range would be about 1.2 billion to 1.6 billion. These estimates take account of limited offsetting savings of disability benefits.

Pharmacy

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost was of a medicines use review per patient in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the benefits to patients of such reviews;
	(2)  what percentage of medicines use reviews resulted in a change of drug treatment or dosage in 2006;
	(3)  how many medicines use reviews were conducted in Wirral in 2006; and at what cost;
	(4)  what factors are considered before a medicines use review is undertaken;
	(5)  what happens to the drugs prescribed to a patient before a treatment change as a result of a medicines use review.

Dawn Primarolo: Medicines use reviews (MUR) aim to improve patients' knowledge and use of the medicines prescribed for them, through a specific consultation between an accredited pharmacist and the patient. They may be triggered by concerns over patient concordance or where the patient is receiving medicines regularly and the pharmacist thinks a patient may benefit from an MUR. MURs can be conducted with patients on multiple medicines and those with long-term conditions, every 12 months. Primary care trusts (PCTs) can identify patient groups that would particularly benefit from such a review. Routine MURs, initiated by the pharmacist, must only be provided for patients who have been using the pharmacy for the dispensing of prescriptions for at least the previous three months.
	The fee payable to accredited pharmacies providing this service increased from 23 to 25 per MUR from 1 October 2006, and from 25 to 27 per MUR from 1 October 2007.
	In 2006-07, accredited pharmacies in the area covered by Wirral Primary Care Trust were paid 100,185 for providing 4,091 MURs. The Prescription Pricing Division (PPD) of the NHS Business Services Authority records the number of claims contractors make for MURs they have provided. The data for Wirral PCT were sourced from the PPD Information System and do not include adjustments for overpayments or the late submission of claims.
	Information on the number of drug treatments or dosages changed as a result of an MUR is not collected centrally. The Department has not made any national assessment of the benefits of MURs.
	Any dispensed medicines no longer required as a result of an MUR should be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) HIV,  (b) chlamydia,  (c) gonorrhoea,  (d) syphilis,  (e) genital warts and  (f) genital herpes there were in England in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is provided in the following tables.
	
		
			  Individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in England by year of diagnosis (1997-2006)cumulative data to the end of June 2007 
			   Number 
			 1997 2,542 
			 1998 2,661 
			 1999 2,943 
			 2000 3,661 
			 2001 4,837 
			 2002 5,938 
			 2003 6,916 
			 2004 7,041 
			 2005 7,115 
			 2006(1) 6,595 
			 Total 50,249 
			 (1) Numbers will rise as further reports are received, particularly for recent years.  Note: Table will include some records of the same individuals which are unmatchable because of differences in information supplied.  Source: Health Protection Agency, new HIV diagnoses 
		
	
	
		
			  New sexually transmitted infection diagnoses, England: 1997-2006 
			   Uncomplicated chlamydial infection  Uncomplicated gonorrhoea  Primary and secondary infectious syphilis  Anogenital wartsfirst attack  Anogenital herpes simplexfirst attack 
			 1997 38,839 14,178 147 58,711 15,079 
			 1998 43,912 14,212 131 59,681 15,815 
			 1999 50,960 17,361 211 61,157 15,880 
			 2000 61,370 23,361 322 60,661 16,147 
			 2001 68,180 25,852 717 62,423 17,054 
			 2002 78,117 24,357 1,196 63,938 17,510 
			 2003 85,516 23,492 1,538 65,279 17,157 
			 2004 92,948 20,779 2,033 68,217 16,952 
			 2005 95,930 17,702 2,574 68,701 17,618 
			 2006 99,230 17,445 2,515 70,988 19,388 
			  Note: The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in genito-urinary clinics (GUM) only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as General Practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset.  Source: Health Protection Agency, KC60 returns 
		
	
	In addition to the figures for those diagnosed with chlamydia in GUM clinics the total number of people who have been diagnosed with chlamydia within the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) since 2003-04 when the programme was launched, is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Diagnoses of Chlamydia in the NCSP 
			   Number 
			 2003-04 1,756 
			 2004-05 6,785 
			 2005-06 10,384 
			 2006-07 14,972 
			 Total 33,897 
			  Source: National Chlamydia Screening Programme

Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussion the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and his Department's Implementation Working Group have had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the differences between the CMO's recommendations for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalised patients and the NICE guidelines on reducing the risk of VTE in patients undergoing surgery; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Anita Thomas OBE, the chair of the Implementation Working Group, have had discussions with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence about improving the prevention and management of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The focus of these discussions has been on how all parties can work closely together to ensure that the risk of VTE can be minimised, for example by assessing what needs to be done to make a risk assessment for every hospitalised patient a reality.